December 17, 2018
Earlier this year, with over 50 percent of the vote, Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected President of Mexico. Chamber President and CEO Jerry Sanders was honored to receive an invitation to attend President López Obrador’s inauguration ceremony which took place on December 1st.
The Presidential Inauguration agenda included a reception hosted by Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard. He was joined by Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S., Martha Bárcena, and together they delivered a message to attendees on the importance of the binational relationship and that the border is synonymous with innovation and opportunity. Chamber VP of International Business Affairs Paola Avila and Director of International Business Affairs Kenia Zamarripa met with Minister Ebrard to brief him on the Chamber’s upcoming Binational Delegation Trip to Mexico City, and delivered a letter inviting him and the President’s cabinet members to meet with our delegation.
The inauguration ceremony and receptions provided an excellent opportunity to reiterate our commitment to the binational collaboration which we depend on for our region’s success. During our visit, we were able to have multiple impactful conversations about border infrastructure, immigration, and trade with Mexico’s new administration and U.S. officials attending the ceremony.
President López Obrador’s cabinet members and new appointments include:
- Olga Sánchez Cordero, Secretary of the Interior (SEGOB)
- Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SRE)
- Martha Bárcena, Ambassador to the United States
- Carlos Manuel Urzúa Macías, Secretary of Treasury (SHCP)
- Javier Jiménez Espriú, Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT)
- Rocío Nahle García, Secretary of Energy (SENER)
- Josefa González Blanco Ortiz , Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)
- Graciela Márquez Colín, Secretary of Economy (SE)
- Jesús Seade, Chief Negotiator for USMCA / NAFTA 2.0
- Blanca Elena Jiménez Cisneros, National Commissioner of Water (CONAGUA)
- Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Secretary of Public Education (SEP)
- Miguel Torruco Marqués, Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR)
- Jorge Carlos Alcocer Varela, Secretary of Public Health
- Luisa María Alcalde Luján, Secretary of Workforce (STPS)
- Victor Villalobos Arámbula, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER, previously SAGARPA)
- Luis Crescencio Sandoval, Secretary of Defense (SEDENA)
- José Rafael Ojeda Duran, Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR)
- Alejandra Fraustro Guerrero, Secretary of Culture (previously CONACULTA)
- Román Meyer Falcon, Secretary of Agriculture, Territory, and Urban Development (SEDATU)
- Irma Erendira Sandoval, Secretary of Public Administration (SFP)
- Alfonso Durazo Montaño, Secretary of Public Safety (SSPYPC)
- María Luisa Albores, Secretary of Wellness (previously Secretary of Social Development)
For a complete transcript of President López Obrador’s inauguration speech (in Spanish), please click here.
The Chamber is looking forward to continued collaboration with the Mexican government to further strengthen the U.S.-Mexico relationship and advocate and promote projects and policies that will improve our economies. These include border infrastructure and trade facilitation, workforce development, and minimizing transboundary pollution. To hear more about what Mexico’s new administration will bring to the future of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, click here to listen to an interview with Chamber President and CEO Jerry Sanders.
To see photos from the event, please visit the Chamber’s Facebook Page.