In October the missile sit e was discovered by CIA operatives who reported its existence to U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Because of Cuba's proximity to the southern shores of the United States, Kennedy imposed a naval blockade around the island and demanded that Soviet Premier N ikita Khrushchev remove the missiles. The crisis came to an end on October 28, 1962, when Khrushchev accepted Kennedy's promise to decrease the number of U.S. missiles in Turkey. Although a major conflict had been averted, for two tension-filled weeks the whole world had held its breath.
In the wake of the crisis García Robles persuaded the Mexican government to support the proposed plan of nuclear non-proliferation in Latin America. He tirelessly advocated this position for several years, after which his efforts resulted in the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco.
Negotiated Treaty of Tlateloco
Since 1964 García Robles had served as under-secretary of foreign affairs to Mexican president Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. In this position, he was able to effectively champion the cause of international nuclear disarmament--particularly disarma ment for Latin America--and this directly led to his key role in the formation of the Treaty of Tlateloco. His role in creating a nuclear-free Latin America was an extremely important and high-profile one, his efforts so integral to the cause that he became known as the "father" of the Tlatelolco treaty.
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