July 11, 2008

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

While the Merida Initiative has been the subject of much news coverage, there has been a lot going on in the other aspects of our bilateral relationship that I’d like to share with you.

In early June, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored a delegation of Mexican officials and private sector leaders to participate in a Wind Energy Study Tour to the U.S. Twelve influential actors from the Mexican energy sector traveled to Texas and California to attend Wind Power 2008, one of the most important conferences on wind energy in the U.S. where they had the opportunity to interact with more than 770 exhibitors and members of the American Wind Energy Association.

For more information on USAID projects, click here

On June 12-14, we welcomed Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to Mexico City. During her trip she visited a local school, met with her counterparts at SEP and also attended a Teacher Appreciation reception at the Museo de Antropología. During this reception Secretary Spellings met seven indigenous teachers who participated in the one-year TIES (USAID Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships) program and are now back in their communities applying the skills they learned in the U.S. These teachers traveled from Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Jalisco to share their experiences with Secretary Spellings and myself. It was a great opportunity to acknowledge them and the important roles they are playing in their communities. To date, 83 teachers from the States of Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit and Oaxaca have been awarded with TIES scholarships that aim to strengthen rural primary education.

Click here to see photos from Secretary Spellings’ visit

On June 21, 2008, the U.S. government returned 929 Mexican archeological artifacts to the Mexican government. The Artifacts had been smuggled out of Mexico to various cities in the United States and were recovered by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the United States for assisting in the recovery of these archeological treasures. This is one example of a partnership between our two countries that benefits everyone by enabling these historical objects to be appreciated by all and not hidden away in an illegal private collection.

On June 17, President Calderon signed a constitutional amendment into law which allows Mexico to take the first steps in opening up its judicial system. Key aspects of the reforms will become effective 30 days after the signing. These include allowing public trials and creating a presumption of innocence. The reforms must be fully implemented over the course of the next eight years. This important legislation should facilitate prosecutions for organized crime, making it constitutional for suspects in cases involving organized crime, homicide, or national security to be detained or placed under house arrest for a period up to 80 days before being charged. President Calderon has said that these judicial reforms will “offer citizens a more transparent judicial system,” under which human rights are respected and cases are handled more efficiently. Enactment of this reform was greeted positively by the international community which views this as a significant milestone for Mexico’s judicial system.

During the month of June, criminal violence in Mexico increased. In Chihuahua drug cartels adopted a new tactic of setting buildings on fire. Drug cartels are also using mantas - signs posted in public spaces - to threaten rival cartels and authorities and to rally public support. A number of Mexico's leading commentators have suggested, I believe accurately, that these activities are an attempt by drug traffickers to turn the public against the government because the drug cartels are increasingly feeling the pressure of successful government operations.

But despite the violence, there has also been progress, including several important seizures in Sinaloa. The Mexican military raided a safe house in Culiacan in mid June and seized more than 5 million U.S. dollars in cash, along with some weapons and vehicles. In Choix, the military arrested two alleged narco-traffickers in possession of 522 kilos of marijuana along with several high-powered assault rifles and handguns. These successes are significant and impressive accomplishments for Mexican law enforcement.

In a good example of state to state cooperation, Arizona and Sonora, through Governor Janet Napolitano and Sonora Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo, agreed to join forces to fight crime in an accord signed on June 21 to make Arizona's southern neighbor to give Sonoran state police access to the same e-Trace technology being used by Mexican federal police and U.S. law enforcement.

Arizona and Sonora officials said the states will team up to combat gunrunning and share databases of fugitive felons on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The states also promised to work on improving border entry points and to share more information to combat drug smuggling.

On July 10, the U.S. Embassy Mexico City Commercial Service office participated in a travel and tourism industry event in Mexico City sponsored by the Travel Industry Association (TIA), the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the CityPass program of Houston. At this event, Roger Dow, President and CEO of TIA, formally announced the launch in Mexico of their official travel and tourism website portal, www.DiscoverAmerica.com, designed specifically to promote the United States as a tourist destination for the Mexican traveler. This event will also highlight the Houston CityPass program, an integrated public transportation initiative that simplifies and promotes the use of the Houston public transportation network by visitors.

The Embassy’s Commercial Service is hosting a web seminar on July 15th entitled "An Update on Mexico's National Infrastructure Program: Upcoming Business Opportunities." Presentations will highlight a number of upcoming National Infrastructure Program projects, will provide insight from a leading private sector firm involved in infrastructure development in Mexico, as well as an overview of how to conduct business with the Mexican Government.

For more information, click here

A series of interactive seminars to help Mexican small and medium-sized companies import U.S. products and services is being sponsored by the Embassy's Commercial Service. Topics include: International Payment Forms (August 27), How Can I Benefit from NAFTA? (September 24), The Importance of Commercial Ethics in Business (October 29) and The ABC's of Logistics to Import American Products (November 26). These seminars will be held at the U.S. Trade Center in Mexico City.

For more information please click here

On July 7, I attended a pre-departure orientation for 80 Mexican English language teachers. These teachers from universities and public schools in 20 Mexican states will attend month-long Teacher-Training Programs in the United States. The program, called “Talleres de Verano en EUA,” is administered by SEP and COMEXUS, the Mexico-U.S. Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, which oversees the Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholarship Program. This is the seventh summer in which Mexican teachers of English will participate in this program. This group of teachers will be studying at the University of Arkansas, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of South Carolina and Oregon State University. Dr. Arturo Borja is the Executive Director of COMEXUS. COMEXUS Program Director Maggie Hug organized this year’s orientation.

Last Friday, July 4th, Mariasun and I welcomed well over 1000 guests to perhaps the largest and most successful U.S. Independence Day celebration in Mexico to date. Musicos Jarochos from the Ballet Folkorico de Mexico welcomed guests as they arrived to the festivities and Mariachis from the Mexican Navy were on hand to bid them farewell. The anthems were performed by the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, under the direction of Carlos Miguel Prieto who surprised everyone by introducing world renowned violinist Philip Quint who treated the audience to a piece by Tchaikovsky.

To read my 4th of July remarks, please click here

To enjoy a photo montage of the 4th, click here

I appreciate the opportunity to share with you information about the important bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. And, as always, may God bless both our great nations.

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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