U.S. Ambassador Anthony Wayne Welcomes Governor of Quintana Roo to the Consulate for a Dialogue

Amb. Wayne welcomes Gov. Borge of Quintana Roo

Merida, February 11, 2012 – Ambassador Anthony Wayne met Friday with Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge Angulo at the U.S. Consulate in Merida. The Ambassador and the Governor discussed the many interests shared by the United States and Mexico, from facilitating travel between our two countries to investment opportunities and the public security challenges both face. The Governor briefed the Ambassador on the recovery of Quintana Roo’s tourist industry since 2009, and plans to increase tourism further. He noted that seven million Americans had visited the state in the past year and shared statistics regarding low levels of crime in the state.  In his role as President of the Tourism Commission of the National Conference of Governors (CONAGO), the Governor expressed concern about the recent U.S. travel warning.  

Ambassador Wayne expressed his strong interest in continuing to facilitate travel and business ties between our two countries and to working with government as well as the private sector to advance this objective.  Regarding the updated Travel Warning, the Ambassador noted that the U.S. government has a responsibility to inform its citizens about travel conditions in every country around the world.  He said that the U. S. government recognizes that millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, and that the Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations.  He noted that U.S. guidance indicates that there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. The Ambassador also noted that our guidance signals that resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes. 

The Ambassador  explained that the current Travel Warning supersedes the April 22, 2011 Travel Warning, consolidates and updates information about the security situation, and advises U.S. citizens of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government personnel.  He noted that the Travel Warning has been redesigned for improved clarity,  that it includes state-by-state assessments that provide information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico with the intention of providing more useful information to U.S. travelers,  and that it reflects the U.S. Mission Travel Policy now in effect for official U.S. government employees serving in Mexico.  

The Ambassador added that the U.S. continues to work very closely with the government of Mexico through the Merida Initiative (MI) to help address needs in the security and justice area.  The Governor expressed his appreciation for the ongoing work under MI and expressed a desire for his state’s law enforcement and justice officials to participate in relevant MI programs. 

Following the meeting, Ambassador Wayne said “It was my pleasure to welcome Governor Borge to the Consulate in Merida. I thanked him and his team for welcoming so many American tourists to his state. I look forward to a continuing dialogue with him, to visiting Quintana Roo, and to working with him on projects of common interest.” 

The U.S. Consulate in Merida has strong ties with the government and people of Quintana Roo — it supervises three consular agencies in the state— in Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. Consulate staff frequently visits the state to meet with government officials, leaders in the tourism sector, the business community, and student groups.