Guest Columnist – Ken Salazar, Ambassador to Mexico

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Morgan Smith / [email protected].

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The Biden administration will soon be naming an Ambassador to Mexico, and I certainly hope that it will be former US Senator Ken Salazar. Having worked with him in the administration of Governor Roy Romer, I can attest to his experience, knowledge, integrity and commitment. There is no better choice for this challenging position that offers great potential for improving mutual US-Mexico issues.

The first challenge would be gaining the trust and respect of Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Despite Trump’s unending insulting of Mexico and Mexicans, AMLO became a Trump supporter and has been cool to Joe Biden.

And despite what seems like a miserable job performance, AMLO remains extremely popular and with the Congress in the control of his party, Morena, very powerful. However, his cavalier attitude towards the pandemic has resulted in many unnecessary deaths and he is only now beginning a vaccination program. The murder rate is staggering.

There have been 604 murders in Juárez (pop. 1.5 million) in just the first five months of 2021. That compares to 447 in all of 2020 in the much larger New York City. Despite his alleged commitment to the poor, I have seen absolutely no evidence of social programs in my many visits to the Juárez area. And unlike the US, there has been no stimulus program for the millions who were put out of work by the pandemic.

Can a new US Ambassador build a relationship with him that would help resolve some of these issues?

Other issues involve the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement which replaced NAFTA and was enacted on July 1, 2020. Can a new Ambassador help with its implementation? Mexico and Canada are Colorado’s largest export markets, and this accounts for thousands of jobs.

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation calling for improved technology at ports of entry to identify illegal drugs. Could a new Ambassador help form a partnership with Mexico whereby Mexico could also use this technology to slow the flow of guns into Mexico?

Vaccines are finally beginning to flow from the US to Mexico, but could a border based COVID program be quickly implemented for the many workers who pass back and forth across the border every day. Could a joint COVID program be expanded to help with the many other health issues that plague border towns like Juárez?

US officials arrested General Salvador Cienfuegos in Los Angeles last October 15 without notifying Mexican officials, causing a diplomatic uproar and ending with a dismissal of his drug-related charges. Although this occurred during the Trump presidency, there remains a lack of trust. Can’t a new and better working relationship now be formed between Biden and AMLO with the new Ambassador pushing it along behind the scenes?

Given conditions of violence, corruption, crop destruction due to climate change, on-going poverty and devastating hurricanes, we can expect continuing flight from Central American countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Can Mexico partner with the US to assist those countries and can the new Ambassador be part of that process?

Immigration is obviously the most highly publicized issue. Could a new Ambassador help humanize this issue by, for example, bringing attention to the plight of migrants who are waiting endlessly in shelters on the Mexican side?

The challenges are enormous but so are the opportunities. Let’s hope that the Biden administration moves quickly and that this very special public servant, Ken Salazar is their choice.