Mexico was represented at the OTI Festival 1983 with the song "", written by Amparo Rubín, and performed by . The Mexican participating broadcaster, Televisa, selected its entry through a national televised competition with several phases. The song, that was performed in position 14, was not among the top-five places revealed.
National stage Televisa held a national competition with four televised qualifying rounds, two semi-finals, and a final to select its entry for the 12th edition of the OTI Festival. This twelfth edition of the National OTI Festival featured 28 songs in the qualifying rounds, twelve in the semi-finals, and six in the final. The top-three entries were awarded at the end. In addition to the general competition, awards were also given for Best Male Performer, Best Female Performer, Best Musical Arrangement, and Breakout Artist among all the competing artists.
The shows were held at Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City, were presented by Raúl Velasco, and were broadcast on . The musical director was , who conducted the orchestra when required.
+ Competing entries on the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Songwriter(s) Conductor "" Álvaro Dávila Sergio Andrade Sergio Andrade "" Gil Rivera Gil Rivera "" José Luis Duval Antonio Navarrete "" Gualberto Castro Roberto Cantoral Arturo Castro "" Amparo Rubín Chucho Ferrer "" Valerio Luigi Lazareno "" Julián Julián Chucho Ferrer "" Antonio Elias Luigi Lazareno "" Massías Massías Eduardo Magallanes "" Óscar Athie Óscar Athie Julio Jaramillo "" Alfonso Alarcón Elvia Vazquez Rodrigo Álvarez "" Carminna Massías Ricardo Toral "" Hernán Visseti Hernán Visseti Paco Navarrete "" Lorena Patricia Lorena Patricia Antonio Navarrete "" Mario Pintor Mario Pintor Julio Jaramillo "" José Roberto José Roberto Julio Jaramillo "" Lucerito Lucerito Sergio Andrade "" Mariana Maesse Francisco Curiel Chucho Ferrer "" Sagrario Baena José Eduardo Piña Chucho Ferrer "" Laura Flores Carlos Vargas Lázaro Muñiz "" Víctor Yturbe Alfredo Correa Eduardo Magallanes "" Aida Pierce Antonio Elías Luigi Lazareno "" César Costa Sergio Andrade Sergio Andrade "" Rodolfo "Popo" Sánchez "" Roberto Jordán Ricardo Toral "" Amparo Rubín Amparo Rubín Ricardo Toral "" Guillermo Guillermo Luigi Lazareno "" Óscar Athie Julio Jaramillo
Qualifying rounds The four qualifying rounds were held on Saturdays 20 and 27 August, and 3 and 10 September 1983. Each round featured seven entries, of which the three highest-scoring advanced to the semi-finals. In each round, each of the ten jurors cast one vote for each of their three favorite entries.
+ Result of the first qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Valerio 3 2 "" Aida Pierce 8 Qualified 3 "" Alfonso Alarcón 0 4 "" Amparo Rubín 0 5 "" Óscar Athie 6 Qualified 6 "" 6 7 "" Gualberto Castro 10 Qualified
+ Result of the second qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Massías 9 Qualified 2 "" Lorena Patricia 0 3 "" Guillermo 0 4 "" 10 Qualified 5 "" Gil Rivera 4 6 "" Laura Flores 3 7 "" Álvaro Dávila 7 Qualified
+ Result of the third qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Hernán Visseti 2 2 "" Carminna 7 Qualified 3 "" José Luis Duval 2 4 "" Sagrario Baena 0 5 "" Mario Pintor 11 Qualified 6 "" Lucerito 3 7 "" Víctor Yturbe 8 Qualified
+ Result of the forth qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Julián 3 2 "" Mariana Maesse 1 3 "" José Roberto 7 Qualified 4 "" 9 Qualified 5 "" Roberto Jordán 1 6 "" 2 7 "" César Costa 10 Qualified
Semi-finals The semi-finals were held on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September 1983. The twelve songs that qualified in the qualifying rounds were distributed between the two semi-finals, and the three most voted songs from each semi-final went on to the final.
+ Result of the first semi-final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Aida Pierce 1 2 "" Massías 3 3 "" Álvaro Dávila 9 Qualified 4 "" Víctor Yturbe 10 Qualified 5 "" Mario Pintor 13 Qualified 6 "" Óscar Athie 9
+ Result of the second semi-final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" 5 2 "" Carminna 3 3 "" Gualberto Castro 12 Qualified 4 "" César Costa 8 Qualified 5 "" José Roberto 6 6 "" 11 Qualified
Final The six-song final was held on Sunday 25 September 1983. The final was held in two rounds, shorlisting three songs for a superfinal. The winner was "", written by Amparo Rubín, and performed by .
+ Result of the final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Result 1 "" Víctor Yturbe 5 2 "" Mario Pintor Qualified 3 "" Álvaro Dávila 4 4 "" Gualberto Castro 6 5 "" Qualified 6 "" César Costa Qualified
+ Result of the superfinal of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1983 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Mario Pintor 1 3 2 "" 11 1 3 "" César Costa 3 2
Merit awards In the final, the jurors voted aloud for the Best Male and Female Performer, Best Musical Arrangement, and Breakout Artist among the shortlisted artist in each category.
Gualberto Castro received the Best Male Performer Award, Carminna the Best Female Performer Award, Sergio Andrade the Best Musical Arrangement Award for "", and Rafael Amador and Mariana Maesse the Breakout Artist Award jointly.
Official album Las 12 triunfadoras del Festival OTI 83 is the official compilation album of the twelfth edition of the Mexican National OTI Festival, released by Gamma in 1983. The vinyl LP features the studio version of the twelve songs qualified for the semi-finals.
At the OTI Festival On 29 October 1983, the OTI Festival was held at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., United States, hosted by the Spanish International Network (SIN), and broadcast live throughout Ibero-America. María Medina performed "" in position 14, with Chucho Ferrer conducting the event's orchestra. At the end, only the top five places were announced, and the Mexican entry was not one of them.
Televisa broadcast live the festival on .
Voting Each participating broadcaster, or group of broadcasters that jointly participated representing a country, appointed a juror who secretly scored each entry in a scale of 5–1 points, except for the entry representing its own country. The Mexican juror was Lucía Méndez.
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