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Government action in Mexico has opened out to the world of the associations concerned with natural resources management. It emerges that the NGOs’ involvement falls in with the traditional political tactic of bringing them into line. This is shown by examination of two environmental crises, one in the context of Indian affairs, one of non-Indian affairs. At local level, the NGOs are instrumentalized in spite of their declared non-political stance. Nevertheless, their effectiveness at global level results from a pincer effect from their intervention in the field right up to their passionate advocacy on the international scene. Consequently, the NGO’s domain of effectiveness and therefore the way they define themselves are not restricted to local actions. They operate in a vertical set-up which entails the mutual instrumentalization with the politicians and a tussle with them to win over public opinion as the legitimate force. The question that arises therefore concerns the non-political stand that the NGOs display. The paper attempts to delimit a political dimension these organizations take on, without in any way repudiating the image of non-political purity NGOs have in the eyes of the public.