Background Note: Mexico

Background Note: Mexico

PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:

United Mexican States

Geography

Area: 1,972,550 sq. km. (761,600 sq. mi.); about three times the size of Texas.

Cities: Capital--Mexico City (19.2 million, 2006 estimate for metro area). Other major cities--Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Acapulco, Merida, Leon, Veracruz.

Terrain: Coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, and mountains up to 5,400 m. (18,000 ft.).

Climate: Tropical to desert.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mexican(s).

Population (July 2008 est.): 109,955,400.

Annual growth rate (2008 est.): 2%. Ethnic groups: Indian-Spanish (mestizo) 60%, Indian 30%, Caucasian 9%, other 1%.

Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%.

Language: Spanish.

Education: Years compulsory--11 (note: preschool education was made mandatory in Dec. 2001). Literacy--91.4%.

Health (2007): Infant mortality rate--19.01/1000. Life expectancy--male 73.05 years; female 78.78 years.

Work force (2006 est., 38.09 million): Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing--21.0%; services--32.2%; commerce--16.9%; manufacturing--18.7%; construction--5.6%; transportation and communication--4.5%; mining and quarrying--1.0%.

Government

Type: Federal republic.

Independence: First proclaimed September 16, 1810; republic established 1824.

Constitution: February 5, 1917.

Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of government). Legislative--bicameral. Judicial--Supreme Court, local and federal systems.

Administrative subdivisions: 31 states and a federal district.

Political parties: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party (PAN), Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Green Ecological Party (PVEM), Labor Party (PT), and several small parties.

Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy

GDP (market exchange rate, 2007 est.): $893 billion.

GDP (PPP method, 2007 est.): $1.353 trillion.

Per capita GDP (PPP method, 2007 est.): $12,400.

Annual real GDP growth: (2007) 3.3%; (2006) 4.8%; (2005) 3.0%; (2004) 4.4%; (2003) 1.4%; (2002) 0.8%; (2001) -0.2%; (2000) 6.6%.

Inflation rate: (2007) 3.8%; (2006) 3.4%; (2005) 3.3%; (2004) 5.2%; (2003) 4.0%; (2002) 5.7%; (2001) 4.4%; (2000) 9.0%.

Natural resources: Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber.

Agriculture (3.5% of GDP): Products--corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes, beef, poultry, dairy products, wood products.

Industry (26.6% of GDP): Types--food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables.

Services (69.5% of GDP): Types--commerce and tourism, financial services, transportation and communications.

Trade (Goods): Exports (2007)--$272 billion f.o.b. Imports (2007)--$282 billion f.o.b. Exports to US. (2007)--$223 billion (82% of total). Imports from U.S. (2007)--$141 billion (50% of total). Major markets--U.S., EU, Canada.

PEOPLE

Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the second most-populous country in Latin America after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. About 76% of the people live in urban areas. Many Mexicans emigrate from rural areas that lack job opportunities--such as the underdeveloped southern states and the crowded central plateau--to the industrialized urban centers and the developing areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is nearly 20 million, which would make it the largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere. Cities bordering on the United States--such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez--and cities in the interior--such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puebla--have undergone sharp rises in population in recent years.

Mexico has made great strides in improving access to education and literacy rates over the past few decades. According to a 2006 World Bank report, enrollment at the primary level is nearly universal, and more children are completing primary education. The average number of years of schooling for the population 15 years old and over was around eight years during the 2004-05 school year, a marked improvement on a decade earlier--when it was 6.8 years--but low compared with other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

HISTORY

Highly developed cultures, including those of the Olmecs, Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs, existed long before the Spanish conquest. Hernando Cortes conquered Mexico during the period 1519-21 and founded a Spanish colony that lasted nearly 300 years.

Independence from Spain was proclaimed by Father Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810. Father Hidalgo's declaration of national independence, known in Mexico as the "Grito de Dolores," launched a decade-long struggle for independence from Spain. Prominent figures in Mexico's war for independence were: Father Jose Maria Morelos; Gen. Augustin de Iturbide, who defeated the Spaniards and ruled as Mexican emperor from 1822-23; and Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, who went on to dominate Mexican politics from 1833 to 1855. An 1821 treaty recognized Mexican independence from Spain and called for a constitutional monarchy. The planned monarchy failed; a republic was proclaimed in December 1822 and established in 1824.

Throughout the rest of the 19th century, Mexico's government and economy were shaped by contentious debates among liberals and conservatives, republicans and monarchists, federalists and those who favored centralized government. During the two presidential terms of Benito Juarez (1858-71), Mexico experimented with modern democratic and economic reforms. President Juarez' terms of office and Mexico's early experience with democracy were interrupted by the invasion in 1863 of French forces who imposed a monarchy on the country in the form of Hapsburg archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria, who ruled as emperor. Liberal forces succeeded in overthrowing, and executing, the emperor in 1867 after which Juarez returned to office until his death in 1872. Following several weak governments, the authoritarian Gen. Porfirio Diaz assumed office and was president during most of the period between 1877 and 1911.

Mexico's severe social and economic problems erupted in a revolution that lasted from 1910-20 and gave rise to the 1917 constitution. Prominent leaders in this period--some of whom were rivals for power--were Francisco Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon, Victoriano Huerta, and Emiliano Zapata. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), formed in 1929 under a different name, emerged from the chaos of revolution as a vehicle for keeping political competition among a coalition of interests in peaceful channels. For 71 years, Mexico's national government was controlled by the PRI, which won every presidential race and most gubernatorial races until the July 2000 presidential election of Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party (PAN), in what were widely considered at the time the freest and fairest elections in Mexico's history. President Fox completed his term on December 1, 2006, when Felipe Calderon assumed the presidency.

GOVERNMENT

The 1917 constitution provides for a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Historically, the executive has been the dominant branch, with power vested in the president, who promulgates and executes the laws of the Congress. The Congress has played an increasingly important role since 1997, when opposition parties first made major gains The president also legislates by executive decree in certain economic and financial fields, using powers delegated from the Congress. The president is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year term and may not hold office a second time. There is no vice president; in the event of the removal or death of the president, a provisional president is elected by the Congress.

The Congress is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Consecutive re-election is prohibited. Senators are elected to 6-year terms, and deputies serve 3-year terms. The Senate's 128 seats are filled by a mixture of direct-election and proportional representation. In the lower chamber, 300 deputies are directly elected to represent single-member districts, and 200 are selected by a modified form of proportional representation from five electoral regions. The 200 proportional representation seats were created to help smaller parties gain access to the Chamber.

The judiciary is divided into federal and state court systems, with federal courts having jurisdiction over most civil cases and those involving major felonies. Under the constitution, trial and sentencing must be completed within 12 months of arrest for crimes that would carry at least a 2-year sentence. In practice, the judicial system often does not meet this requirement. Trial is by judge, not jury. Defendants have a right to counsel, and public defenders are available. Other rights include defense against self-incrimination, the right to confront one's accusers, and the right to a public trial. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. (See "Reforms" below for comments on judicial reform currently underway.)

Principal Government Officials

President--Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa

Foreign Secretary--Patricia ESPINOSA Cantellano

Ambassador to the U.S--Arturo SARUKHAN Casamitjana

Ambassador to the United Nations--Claude HELLER Rouassant

Ambassador to the OAS--Gustavo ALBIN

Mexico maintains an embassy in the United States at 1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006 (tel. 202-728-1600). Consular offices are located at 2829 - 16th St. NW, 20009 (tel. 202-736-1000), and the trade office is co-located at the embassy (tel. 202-728-1687, fax. 202-296-4904).

Besides its embassy, Mexico maintains over 50 diplomatic offices in the U.S. Consulates general are located in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Francisco; consulates are (partial listing) in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

President Felipe Calderon of the PAN was elected in 2006 in an extremely tight race, with a margin of less than one percent separating his vote total from that of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ("AMLO") of the left-of-center Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). AMLO contested the results of the election, alleging that it was marred by widespread fraud. Mexico's Federal Electoral Tribunal, while acknowledging the presence of randomly-distributed irregularities, rejected AMLO's accusation of widespread fraud and upheld Calderon's victory on September 5, 2006.

In the 2006 elections, the PAN emerged as the largest party in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with just over 40% of the seats in each house of Congress. It does not enjoy a legislative majority. Although the PRI no longer controls the presidency and has fewer congressional seats than either the PAN or PRD, it remains a significant force in Mexican politics, holding 18 governorships and often playing a pivotal role in forming coalitions in the national Congress. The next congressional elections will take place in July 2009.

Reforms

One of President Fox's most important reforms was the passage and implementation of freedom of information (FOIA) laws. President Fox also highlighted the need for modernization of Mexico's criminal justice system, including the introduction of oral trials. Judicial reforms stalled at the federal level during the Fox years, but President Calderon succeeded in passing legislation to reform the federal judicial system. As of November 2008, approval for the reform had been granted by both houses of the Mexican Congress, and the required majority of the states. The reform legislation set a timetable of eight years for full implementation.

In addition to judicial reform, President Calderon has also succeeded in getting passed through Congress important fiscal, electoral, energy, and pension reforms. The administration is grappling with many economic challenges, including the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize labor laws, and make the energy sector more competitive. President Calderon introduced a limited energy reform proposal, designed to strengthen the state oil company, Pemex, in April 2008. A compromise measure was passed on October 28, after more than five months of public debate. Calderon has stated that his top economic priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs.

ECONOMY

Mexico is highly dependent on exports to the U.S., which represent more than a quarter of the country's GDP. The result is that the Mexican economy is strongly linked to the U.S. business cycle, and has suffered from the economic slowdown in the United States. Real GDP grew by 4.8% in 2006 and by 3.3% in 2007, but is expected to grow only by about 2% in 2008 and from 0.5% to 1.5% in 2009.

Mexico's trade regime is among the most open in the world, with free trade agreements with the U.S., Canada, the EU, and many other countries (44 total). Since the 1994 devaluation of the peso, successive Mexican governments have improved the country's macroeconomic fundamentals. Inflation and public sector deficits are under control, while the current account balance and public debt profile have improved. As of October 2008, Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch Ratings had all issued investment-grade ratings for Mexico's sovereign debt.

Trade

Mexico is among the world's most open economies, but it is dependent on trade with the U.S., which bought about 82% of its exports in 2007. Top U.S. exports to Mexico include electronic equipment, motor vehicle parts, and chemicals. Top Mexican exports to the U.S. include petroleum, cars, and electronic equipment. There is considerable intra-company trade.

Mexico is an active and constructive member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) It hosted the September 2003 WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun. The Mexican Government and many businesses support a Free Trade Area of the Americas

Trade disputes between the United States and Mexico are generally settled through direct negotiations between the two countries or via WTO or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) panels. The most significant areas of friction involve agricultural products such as livestock and sweeteners. To address the issues that affect these industries in a manner consistent with the principles of free trade, the United States and Mexico have established technical working groups.

Agriculture

Only 13% of Mexico's land area is arable, of which less than 3% is irrigated. Top revenue-producing crops include corn, tomatoes, sugar cane, dry beans, and avocados. Mexico also generates significant revenue from the production of beef, poultry, pork, and dairy products. In total, agriculture accounted for 3.5% of GDP in 2007, yet agricultural employment accounted for over 14% of total employment. Most of the population is employed in the services sector (60% of total employment).

Implementation of NAFTA has opened Mexico's agricultural sector to the forces of globalization and competition, and some farmers have greatly benefited from greater market access. In particular, fruit and vegetable exports from Mexico have increased dramatically in recent years, exceeding $4 billion to the United States alone in 2007. However, structural inefficiencies that have existed for decades continue to limit improvements in productivity and living standards for many in the agricultural sector. These inefficiencies include a prevalence of small-scale producers, a lack of infrastructure, inadequate supplies of credit, a communal land structure for many producers, and a large subsistence rural population that is not part of the formal economy. It is estimated that half of Mexico's producers are subsistence farmers and over 60% produce corn or beans, with the majority of these farmers cultivating five hectares or less, although the number of Mexican farmers is steadily decreasing as they seek greater economic opportunities from off-farm employment.

Mexico subsidizes agricultural production through various support programs, the most notable being the PROCAMPO initiative.

Manufacturing and Foreign Investment

The manufacturing sector, which accounts for about 18% of GDP, grew by 1.5% in real terms in 2007. Construction grew by 2.6% in real terms in 2007.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico for 2007 was $ 25 billion, up 22% over the previous year. The U.S. was once again the largest foreign investor in Mexico, accounting for 40% ($9.9 billion FDI from the U.S.) of reported FDI. The economic slowdown in the U.S. in 2008 has caused a significant decline in this figure.

Oil and Gas

In 2007 Mexico was the world's eighth-largest crude exporter, and the third-largest supplier of oil to the U.S. Oil and gas revenues provided more than one-third of all Mexican Government revenues.

Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, holds a constitutionally established monopoly for the exploration, production, transportation, and marketing of the nation's oil. With its primary known oil reserves already in serious decline, Mexico will have to determine in the near future how it wants to harvest its harder-to-exploit probable reserves in order to avoid very difficult economic choices. The Mexican Congress passed energy reform legislation in October 2008 that gives Pemex more budgetary autonomy and transparency. However, the reforms do not open the petroleum sector to investment and will do little to address declining production.

While private investment in natural gas transportation, distribution, and storage has been permitted, Pemex remains in sole control of natural gas exploration and production. Despite substantial reserves, Mexico is a net natural gas importer.

Transportation and Communications

Mexico's land transportation network is one of the most extensive in Latin America with 357,000 kilometers (km.) of paved roads, including more than 11,000 kilometers of four-lane paved roads. The 26,622 kilometers (16,268 mi.) of government-owned railroads in Mexico have been privatized through the sale of 50-year operating concessions.

Mexico's ports have experienced a boom in investment and traffic following a 1993 law that privatized the port system. Mexico's ports moved nearly 1.7 million containers in 2006. A number of international airlines serve Mexico, with direct or connecting flights from most major cities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Latin America. Most Mexican regional capitals and resorts have direct air services to Mexico City or the United States. In 2005, the Government of Mexico agreed to sell Mexicana, one of the two main national airlines, to a private investor, and did the same with Aeromexico in 2007. Airports are semi-privatized with the government still the majority shareholder, but with each regional airport group maintaining operational autonomy.

The telecommunications sector is dominated by Telmex, the former state-owned monopoly. Several international companies compete in the sector with limited success. The teledensity rate in Mexico (around 19%) is below average in Latin America. Wireless penetration is much higher, with over 65 million wireless subscribers in the first quarter of 2008, although 31 million of these customers use prepaid cards, and many use their phones to receive calls only. Mexico's satellite service sector was opened to competition, including limited foreign direct investment, in 2001.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Mexico's armed forces number about 225,000. The army makes up about three-fourths of that total. The navy is a completely autonomous cabinet agency and as such there is no joint chief of staff position. Principal military roles include national defense, narcotics control, and civic action assignments such as search and rescue and disaster relief. Mexican military and naval forces provided disaster assistance to the U.S. in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which struck Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2005.

President Calderon has made public security a focus of his presidency and, in addition to passing judicial reform legislation, has launched aggressive operations against organized crime and drug traffickers in several states, raised pay for the military, and replaced numerous corrupt federal police officers. He has also, when necessary, been willing to deploy the Mexican Army in the states where the criminal cartels are dominant.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Traditionally, Mexico has sought to maintain its interests abroad and project its influence largely through moral persuasion and has championed the principles of nonintervention and self-determination. In its efforts to revitalize its economy and open up to international competition, Mexico has sought closer relations with the U.S., Western Europe, and the Pacific Basin. Presidents Fox and Calderon have more actively promoted international human rights and democracy and sought to increase Mexico's participation in international affairs.

Mexico actively participates in several international organizations; it has been elected to a seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2009-2010, having most recently held a seat during 2002-03 Mexico is a strong supporter of the United Nations and Organization of American States systems and also pursues its interests through a number of ad hoc international bodies. Mexico has been selective in its membership in other international organizations. It declined, for example, to become a member of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Nevertheless, Mexico does seek to diversify its diplomatic and economic relations, as demonstrated by its accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1986; its joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1993; its becoming, in April 1994, the first Latin American member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); and its entering the World Trade Organization as a founding member in 1996. Mexico attended the 1994 Summit of the Americas, held in Miami; managed coordination of the agenda item on education for the 1998 Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile; and hosted a Special Summit of the Americas in early 2004. Mexico hosted the September 2003 WTO Ministerial in Cancun and a Hemispheric Security Conference in October of the same year. It was elected to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors in 2003. In 2002 it hosted the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Cabo San Lucas.

U.S.-MEXICAN RELATIONS

U.S. relations with Mexico are as important and complex as with any country in the world. A stable, democratic, and economically prosperous Mexico is fundamental to U.S. interests. U.S. relations with Mexico have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans--whether the issue is trade and economic reform, homeland security, drug control, migration, or the promotion of democracy. The U.S. and Mexico are partners in NAFTA, and enjoy a broad and expanding trade relationship. In March 2005, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada formed the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which contemplates trilateral and bilateral initiatives to develop new avenues of cooperation that will enhance North America's security, competitiveness, and economic resilience.

The scope of U.S.-Mexican relations goes far beyond diplomatic and official contacts; it entails extensive commercial, cultural, and educational ties, as demonstrated by the annual figure of about a million legal border crossings a day. In addition, between a half-million and a million American citizens live in Mexico. More than 18,000 companies with U.S. investment have operations there, and the U.S. accounts for 47% of all foreign direct investment in Mexico. Along the 2,000-mile shared border, state and local governments interact closely.

There has been frequent contact at the highest levels. Presidents' meetings have included the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok in October 2003 and President Bush's visits to Monterrey in January 2004 (Summit of the Americas) and March 2002 Presidents Bush and Fox met in Crawford in March 2005 where, along with then Canadian Prime Minister Martin, they launched the Security and Prosperity Partnership. They held a follow-on SPP meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Harper in Cancun in March 2006. President Calderon joined President Bush and Prime Minister Harper in Montebello, Canada in August 2007, and in New Orleans for the third SPP leaders' meeting in April 2008.

A strong partnership with Mexico is critical to combating terrorism and controlling the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. In recent years, cooperation on counter-narcotics and Mexico's own initiatives in fighting drug trafficking have been unprecedented. At the August 2007 SPP leaders' meeting in Montebello, Canada, Presidents Bush and Calderon announced the Merida Initiative to work together and with the countries of Central America to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the region. In June 2008, President Bush signed the congressional appropriations bill that allocated $400 million in assistance to Mexico under the Merida Initiative.

Border and Environmental Affairs

Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along the 2,000-mile common border includes state and local problem-solving mechanisms; transportation planning; and institutions to address resource, environment, and health issues. In 1993, the Border Liaison Mechanism (BLM) was established. Chaired by U.S. and Mexican consuls, the BLMs operate in "sister city" pairs and have proven to be effective means of dealing with a variety of local issues ranging from accidental violation of sovereignty by law enforcement officials and charges of mistreatment of foreign nationals to coordination of port security and cooperation in public health matters such as tuberculosis.

As the number of people and the volume of cargo crossing the U.S.-Mexico border grow, so, too, does the need for coordinated infrastructure development. The multi-agency U.S.-Mexico Binational Group on Bridges and Border Crossings meets twice yearly to improve the efficiency of existing crossings and coordinate planning for new ones. The 10 U.S. and Mexican border states have become active participants in these meetings.

The United States and Mexico have a history of cooperation on environmental and natural resource issues, particularly in the border area, where there are serious environmental problems caused by rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Cooperative activities between the U.S. and Mexico take place under a number of agreements such as:

An 1889 convention establishing the International Boundary Commission, reconstituted by the Water Treaty of 1944 as the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (IBWC). The IBWC has settled many difficult U.S.-Mexico boundary and water problems, including the regularization of the Rio Grande near El Paso through the 1967 Chamizal settlement. The IBWC determines and accounts for national ownership of international waters, builds and operates water conservation and flood control projects, and constructs and maintains boundary markers on the land boundary and on international bridges. In recent years, the IBWC has worked to resolve longstanding border sanitation problems, to monitor the quantity and quality of border waters, and to address water delivery and sedimentation problems of the Colorado River.

The 1983 La Paz Agreement to protect and improve the border environment and Border 2012, a 10-year, binational, results-oriented environmental program for the U.S.-Mexico border region. The Border 2012 Program is the latest multi-year, binational planning effort to be implemented under the La Paz Agreement and succeeds Border XXI, a five-year program that ended in 2000.

A November 1993 agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, establishing the North American Development Bank (NADBank) and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) under the auspices of NAFTA, in order to address border environmental problems. The NADBank uses capital and grant funds contributed by Mexico and the U.S. to help finance border environmental infrastructure projects certified by the BECC. The BECC works with local communities to develop and certify environmental infrastructure projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, drinking water systems, and solid waste disposal facilities. Prior to 2005, both institutions had separate Boards of Directors. In an effort to improve efficiency, the separate Boards were merged into a single entity, which held its first meeting in June 2006.

The 1993 North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), creating the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation under NAFTA by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, to improve enforcement of environmental laws and to address common environmental concerns.

A series of agreements on border health (since 1942), wildlife and migratory birds (since 1936), national parks, forests, marine and atmospheric resources. In July 2000, the U.S. and Mexico signed an agreement to establish a binational Border Health Commission. The Border Health Commission meets annually and is made up of the federal secretaries of health, the 10 border states' chief health officers, and prominent community health professionals from both countries. A representative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages the U.S. Section in El Paso, Texas.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

Deputy Chief of Mission--Leslie Bassett

Minister Counselor for Political Affairs--Charles Barclay

Minister Counselor for Economic and Science Affairs--James G. Williard

Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy--James Williams

Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs--Edward McKeon

Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs--Karen Zens

Minister Counselor for Management Affairs--Isiah Parnell

Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Allan Mustard

Consul General--Sylvia D. Johnson

Counselor for Labor Affairs--Kevin Richardson

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico is located at Paseo de la Reforma 305, 06500 Mexico, DF. U.S. mailing address: Box 3087, Laredo, Texas 78044-3087; tel. (from the U.S.): (011) (52) 555-080-2000; Internet: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/main.html

The embassy and the 23 U.S. Consulates General, Consulates, and consular agents provide a range of services to American students, tourists, business people, and residents throughout Mexico.

U.S. Consulates General, Consulates, and Officials

Consulate General, Ciudad Juarez--Raymond McGrath

Address: Avenida Lopez Mateos 924-N, 32310 Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

U.S. Postal Address: Box 10545, El Paso, Texas 79995-0545

Tel. (from the U.S.): (011)(52) 656-611-3000

Consulate General, Guadalajara--Edward Ramotowski

Address: Progreso 175. Col. Americana, Guadalajara, Jalisco 44160

U.S. Postal Address: Box 9001, Brownsville, Texas 78520-0901

Tel.: (011)(52) 333-268-2100

Consulate General, Hermosillo--John D. Breidenstine

Address: Calle Monterrey 141 Pte., Col. Esqueda 83260, Hermosillo, Sonora

U.S. Postal Address: Box 1689, Nogales, Arizona 85628

Tel.: (011)(52) 662-289-3500

Consulate General, Matamoros--Cecelia Elizondo-Herrera

Address: Ave. Primera 2002 y Azaleas, 87330, Matamoros, Tamaulipas

U.S. Postal Address: Box 633, Brownsville, Texas 78522-0633

Tel.: (011)(52) 868-812-4402

Consulate General, Monterrey--Bruce Williamson

Address: Avenida Constitution 411 Poniente, 64000 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

U.S. Postal Address: Box 9002, Brownsville, Texas 78520-0902

Tel.: (011)(52) 818-345-2120

Consulate General, Nuevo Laredo--David Stone

Address: Calle Allende 3330, Col. Jardin, 88260 Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas

U.S. Postal Address: Box 3089, Laredo, Texas 78044-3089

Tel.: (011)(52) 867-714-0512

Consulate General, Tijuana--Ronald Kramer

Address: Tapachula 96, Col. Hipodromo 22420 Tijuana, Baja California Norte

U.S. Postal Address: P.O. Box 439039, San Diego, California 92143-9039

Tel.: (011)(52) 664-622-7400

Consulate, Merida--Karen Martin

Address: Calle 60 No 338 K x 29 y 31, Colonia Alcala Martin, CP 97050, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

U.S. Postal Address: Box 9003, Brownsville, Texas 78520-0903

Tel.: (011)(52)(999) 942-5700

Consulate, Nogales--John Dinkelman

Address: Calle San Jose s/n, Fracc. Los Alamos 84065, Nogales, Sonora

U.S. Postal Address: P.O. Box 1729, Nogales, AZ 85628-1729

Tel.: (011)(52) 631-313-4820

Consular Agents

Acapulco--Alexander Richards

Address: Hotel Continental Emporio, Costera M. Aleman 121-Local 14,

39670 Acapulco, Guerrero

Tel. (from the U.S.): (011)(52) 744-469-0556

Cabo San Lucas--vacant

Address: Blvd. Marina, Local C-4, Plaza Nautica, Col. Centro,

23410 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Tel.: (011)(52) 624-143-3566

Cancun--Lynnette Belt

Address: Plaza Caracol 2, Segundo Nivel, #320-323, Blvd. Kukulkan, Km. 8.5 Zona Hotelera,

77500 Cancun, Quintana Roo

Tel.: (011)(52) 998-883-0272

Ciudad Acuna--Richard Villareal

Morelos y Ocampo #305, Col. Centro

26200 Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila

Tel. (011)(52) 877-772-8661

Cozumel--Anne R. Harris

Address: Plaza Villa Mar, Plaza Principal, Parque Juarez

(entre Melgar y 5a Av.), Piso 2 Locales 8 y 9, 77600 Cozumel, Quintana Roo

Tel.: (011)(52) 987-872-4574/4485

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo--Elizabeth Williams

Address: Hotel Fontan, Blvd Ixtapa S/N, 40880, Ixtapa, Zihuataejo, Guerrero, 40880 Zihuatanejo, Guerrero

Courier Address: Apdo. Postal 169, Paseo de los Hujes 236, Col. El Hujal, 40880 Zihuatanejo, Guerrero

Tel.: (011)(52) 755-553-2100

Mazatlan--John Palmerin

Address: Hotel Playa Mazatlan, Playa Gaviotas 202, Zona Dorada,

82110 Mazatlan, Sinaloa

Tel.: (011)(52) 669-916-5889

Oaxaca--Mark A. Leyes

Address: Macedonio Alcala 407, Int. 20,

68000 Oaxaca, Oaxaca

Tel.: (011)(52) 951-514-3054/516-2853

Piedras Negras--Dina O'Brien

Address: Abasolo 211, Local 3, Col. Centro

Piedras Negras, Coahuila, C.P. 26000

Tel. (011)(52) 878-782-5586/782-8664

Playa del Carmen--Samantha Mason

Address: "The Palapa", Calle 1 Sur, entre Avenida 15 y Avenida 20

Playa del Carmen 77710 Quintana Roo

Tel: (011)(52) 984-873-0303

Puerto Vallarta--Kelly Trainor

Address: Paradise Village Plaza, Paseo de los Cocoteros #1, Local 4, Int. 17 63732 Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit

Tel.: (011)(52) 322-222-0069

Reynosa--Vera Nicole Vera

Calle Monterrey #390 esq. Sinaloa, Col. Rodriguez

88630 Reynosa, Tamaulipas

Tel. (011)(52) 899-923-9331

San Luis Potosi--vacant

Address: Edificio "Las Terrazas," Av. Venustiano Carranza 2076-41, Col. Polanco,

78220 San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi

Tel.: (011)(52) 444-811-7802

San Miguel de Allende--Edward Clancy

Address: Dr. Hernandez Macias 72

37700 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Tel.: (011)(52) 415-152-2357

Other Contact Information

American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, A.C.Lucerna 78-4, 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 60326-113, Houston, TX 77205-0326

Tel: (011)(52) 555-141-3820

Fax: (011)(52) 555-141-3836

E-Mail:gwolf@amcham.com.mx

Website: wwwamcham.com.mx

(Branch offices also in Guadalajara and Monterrey)

U.S. Department of Commerce

International Trade Administration

Office of Latin America and the Caribbean

14th and Constitution, NW

Washington, DC 20230

Tel: 202-482-0305; 1-800-USA-TRAD(E)

Internet: http://trade.gov/

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.

The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.

The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.

Further Electronic Information

Department of State Web Site Available on the Internet at http://wwwstate.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov

Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.

STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.

ENDS