November 6, 2006

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Today, I was in Merida to inaugurate a new Consulate building and then in Cancun to highlight the collaboration of the government of Quintana Roo and the U.S. in protecting our most precious resource—the environment.

In Cancun, I joined Quintana Roo Governor Lic. Félix A. González Canto to witness the signing of two Letters of Collaboration, one of which will provide for a U.S. government-funded project to improve municipal water treatment in the state and the other between our government and the Quintana Roo Secretariat of Tourism (SEDETUR) which will promote cooperation on environmental protection projects throughout the region.

Click here to read more about my visit to Yucatan and Quintana Roo

Sadly, for the past several months, violence and disorder have been worsening in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Teachers, students, and other groups have engaged in increasingly violent demonstrations in Oaxaca City as a result of labor and other disputes with the local government. Demonstrators have closed government facilities and several roads throughout the city.

This ongoing conflict between the local government and protestors has claimed several lives and has had an untold economic and political effect on the entire state of Oaxaca. Tragically, on Friday, October 27, 2006, an American journalist, Bradley Roland Will, was shot and killed during a protest in Oaxaca City. Brad died while doing one of the essential jobs of a democracy— informing the public about important and pressing events in the world. His death, and the deaths of three others that day, underscored the critical need for a return to order in Oaxaca.

On Saturday, October 28, President Fox ordered Mexican federal forces to Oaxaca City to bring order there once again. Currently, federal forces and protesters are still engaged in a confrontation in Oaxaca City, and the situation remains very tense.

Last Monday, I extended and elevated our advisory to American citizens urging them not to travel to Oaxaca at this time. Our Embassy will be monitoring the situation in Oaxaca on a day-to-day basis to determine whether to alter our advisory to American citizens in any way.

Click here to read the most recent statement on the extension of the Public Announcement on Oaxaca

In other news, on November 9, Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Bush. Building upon the already vibrant U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship, President-elect Calderon and President Bush will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between our two countries in the areas of law enforcement, trade, economic growth, and competitiveness. President Bush holds Mexico close to his heart, and I am sure will work closely with his new Mexican counterpart to create conditions for a prosperous and bright future for both our nations.

Click here for the full press release on the visit

Mexico and the United States continue to seek out and hold responsible those criminals who try to use the border between our countries to escape justice. Working closely with our counterparts in Mexican law enforcement, we reached a remarkable milestone in October: a record 50 criminals have been extradited from Mexico to the United States thus far in 2006. President Fox’s administration has been very active in the pursuit of these criminals, who were wanted for crimes ranging drug-trafficking to serial murder and rape. As a result of these determined efforts over the past several years, extraditions increased from 17 in 2001 to this year’s record number – and two months still remain in 2006.

Click here to read more about these extraditions

Law enforcement cooperation has not been limited to extraditions. In the ongoing battle against the scourge of drug trafficking, the United States and Mexico worked closely together to shut down one of the largest drug trafficking operations in Mexican history. Following a three-year joint operation between the PGR, AFI, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, arrests were made in Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Tala, in the State of Jalisco. Seized in the operations were armored and non-armored vehicles, jet-skis, guns, ammunition, and drugs. Operations such as this show how cooperation, patience, and good police work pay off.

Click here to read more on this operation

Border security remains an important issue for both Mexico and the United States, and both our government continue to seek better means of securing our border region. A prime example of this is the Secure Entry for Travelers Rapid Inspection, or SENTRI lane, as it is more commonly known. Just last week, on October 30, I traveled to Nuevo Laredo to inaugurate the first SENTRI lane at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo crossing. SENTRI lanes permit passenger vehicles and their occupants enrolled in the program to cross the border more quickly and securely. This new SENTRI lane will facilitate trade between our two countries that already stands at the remarkable pace of approximately $35 million dollars per hour, day in and day out, throughout this past year.

And not only will this security tool bring financial benefits, it will also make life easier for the thousands of people who cross the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge everyday. Upon registering with the SENTRI program, no longer will border-crossers have to use their valuable time sitting in line while trying to cross from Nuevo Laredo to Laredo.

Also while in Nuevo Laredo, I participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new water treatment facility in the area and the launching of a program to repair and expand the sewage treatment system there, which will benefit the 380,000 residents in Nuevo Laredo and surrounding communities. As projects like this show, our governments are committed to more than just securing the border – we also want to make it a better place to live for our border communities.

Click here for more info on my trip to Nuevo Laredo

On October 26, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006. While many people incorrectly characterize this law as an “anti-immigrant” measure, it actually benefits both Mexicans and American citizens by making the border more secure for legal crossings. The United States is committed to securing its borders, but we are also a country that welcomes immigrants and temporary visitors who come to the United States in a legal, orderly and safe manner. Rather than leaving intending immigrants to the mercy of human smugglers and the dangers of some of the most inhospitable areas of the border, the increased security features of this bill will hopefully serve as a deterrent to those who attempt to make the ill-advised and very dangerous illegal crossing into the United States and will better allow our law enforcement agents to focus on dangerous narco-traffickers who operate along our border with near impunity right now.

President Bush has been quite clear he remains committed to a temporary workers program that will allow willing workers to be employed by willing employers in the United States. But our first priority must be making our border region safer again for law-abiding citizens in both our countries.

Click here for more on the Secure Fence Act of 2006

The United States also remains focused on helping to improve the business environment and efficient functioning of government in Mexico in any way we can. I am very proud to note that the U.S. Embassy through its Agency for International Development (USAID) received an award on October 20 from President Fox recognizing its contribution over the past six years to the Fox Administration’s Good Government Agenda. The manner in which the Good Government Agenda improved the internal operations of the federal government and its services to citizens in Mexico will be one of the enduring legacies of the Fox Administration, and we were honored to be a part of those improvements.

Click here for more on this award

We also remain committed to helping improve competitiveness for the Mexican economy so that Mexicans can enjoy a better way of life in their own country. To that end, on October 25-28, the Embassy’s U.S. Commercial Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development participated in the International Summit for Small and Medium Businesses 2006, held for the first time in Mexico, in Veracruz. Small and medium businesses are essential to create new jobs. Indeed, ninety percent of the new businesses and jobs in Mexico in the next decade will be established by micro and small enterprises. Helping small businesses grow in Mexico —by assisting entrepreneurs with business plans, providing access to credit, and strengthening business skills—will help the Mexican economy flourish.

Click here for more on the Small Business Incubation Program

Currently, two of the biggest health scourges facing Mexico are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. I am very happy to tell you that this month, the U.S. Embassy, through its office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced four grants totaling US $1,225,000 to strengthen Mexico’s ability to fight against tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. We hope that these grants, combined with the expertise of Mexico’s health care professionals, will improve the quality of life for those Mexicans most at risk from these illnesses.

Click here for more on these grant programs

I would like to take this opportunity also to remind all American citizens who travel to and from Mexico by airplane that they will need to carry a valid U.S. passport under new rules that go into effect on January 8, 2007. Americans living in Mexico who do not have a valid U.S. passport should apply for one at the United States Embassy or at any U.S. consulate as soon as possible.

Click here for information about how you can apply for your passport

I also urge our Mexican friends who plan to visit the United States to apply as soon as possible for their appointments for visas, especially for travel during the winter and spring holiday periods. Since waiting periods are longest for travelers applying for their visas at our Embassy consular section in Mexico City and the Consulate General in Monterrey, I note that applicants might find shorter waiting periods by scheduling their visa interviews in one of our other eight consulates in Mexico.

Click here for information on applying for a visa

As the inauguration of President-elect Calderon approaches, we are confident that Mexico will continue on its path to economic growth and higher levels of prosperity and happiness for its citizens. The U.S. Mission in Mexico very much looks forward to working closely with President-elect Felipe Calderon and his administration to improve the lives of citizens in both Mexico and the United States.

As always, I thank you for your interest in the activities of our U.S. mission to Mexico. May God bless both our countries.

With best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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