Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As 2006 comes to a close, I would like to take this final opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season and to update you on our busy past two weeks here in Mexico.

On Friday, December 1st, Felipe Calderón was inaugurated as the next President of Mexico during an eventful day that included the traditional taking of the oath in front of the Mexican Congress.

To emphasize the breadth and great importance of our ties with Mexico, President Bush chose as his personal representatives to the inauguration his father, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. I too was deeply honored to have been asked to join this delegation.

Photo by Erich Schlegel; courtesy of The Dallas Morning News

In addition to the official White House delegation, U.S. Governors Rick Perry of Texas and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, as well as several members of Congress, attended inaugural events in Mexico City on Thursday and Friday.

Photo by Erich Schlegel; courtesy of The Dallas Morning News Texas Governor Perry and Amb. Garza share a laugh

Photo courtesy AP  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

On Tuesday of last week, I was also honored to attend the inauguration of Marcelo Ebrard as the Mayor of the Federal District, Mexico City. During my tenure as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, the Embassy of the United States has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the municipal governments of both Andres Manual Lopez Obrador and Alejandro Encincas. I look forward to building on and strengthening those ties in the future with Marcelo Ebrard and his team.

Today, the Mexican newspaper El Financiero published an interview with me about my role here as the U.S. Ambassador and the priorities of our U.S. Mission to Mexico in the coming years. And last month, I wrote an article for The Ambassadorial Review about the recent elections in Mexico and the challenges that President Calderon will face during his tenure. I invite you to read these pieces (the first in Spanish and the second in English) for my perspectives on many of the opportunities and challenges we will face in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship in the near future.

Click here to read the El Financiero piece as published
Click here to read the full-text of the El Financiero interview
Click here to read the Ambassadorial Review article

As always, I appreciate this opportunity to share with you the news from the U.S. Mission to Mexico. I wish you all a new year full of happiness, prosperity and peace. May God bless Mexico and the United States.

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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