Close U.S. - Mexico Coordination on Disaster Response

Mexico City | January 7, 2009

Statement by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza

 “As friends and neighbors the United States and Mexico have always lent one another a helping hand when natural disasters strike. In that spirit of cooperation today we delivered 108,000 protective suits to the Coordinator of Civil Protection at the Secretariat of Governance, Laura Gurza Jaidar. Today's event had special meaning for me. Six years ago this month, as the newly arrived U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, I traveled to Colima to assess the destruction wrought by the January 21, 2003, earthquake. There I saw first-hand how important it was for rescuers and volunteers to have the right equipment to save lives.

“Unfortunately, in the years since then, hurricanes, floods and other disasters have affected both Mexico and the United States. But it is heartening how the people of our two countries have time and again come to each other’s assistance. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Mexican army immediately provided much-appreciated support, and we will always be grateful. When flooding inundated Tabasco and Chiapas in 2007, it was our turn to help.

"Today's delivery of protective equipment is consistent with that spirit of friendship and mutual support. These protective suits will strengthen Mexico’s ability to respond to a range of situations, including chemical spills, flooding, pesticide incidents, and emergency dam construction, and is one more testimony of the strong collaboration on disaster assistance that exists between our two countries.”

Go to http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/Ambassador/A090107ProteccionCivil.html for Ambassador Garza’s full remarks.