Groundbreaking Ceremony
Statement by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza
Tijuana, April 3, 2008- “Today I visited Tijuana to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for a new U.S. Consulate General, and was honored by the presence of Baja California Governor Jose Osuna Millan, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos, and Tijuana Secretary of Public Safety Alberto Capella, to witness this new beginning. Whether the issue is immigration, water, commerce, law enforcement or border security, if you really want to understand, you have to come to Tijuana.
“Below are excerpts of my remarks from the groundbreaking ceremony. To read the entire text, click here: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/Ambassador/eA080403Tijuana.html
“It is impossible to stand in this spot, where a new Consulate building will soon begin to rise, and not be struck by the importance of this area for our economies and ways of life. I could speak of millions of dollars of commercial trade, of all of vehicles that cross the border, and the jobs they create, but this is where the statistics – impressive as they are – fall short.
“Like so many of you, I have seen violence related to narco-trafficking spread. I have also seen law enforcement officers who protect us become victims of the drug cartels that operate in both our countries. Like so many of you, I have heard the concerns of everyday Mexicans from all across the country, concerns about their security, their communities, and the safety of their children.
“But I've also seen both the Mexican and the U.S. governments, steadfast and courageous in their commitments to fighting those who threaten our societies. They have set new records in the volume of seizures, both cash and cocaine, and more drug kingpins have been extradited than ever before.
“And we know that the commitment is not only at the federal level. Ron tells me that these first months have made it clear that Governor Osuna’s administration is committed to restoring order and battling organized crime. State and local level law enforcement agencies along the border have forged important binational relationships. Because, if we do not share the responsibility and blame each other, only the criminals win.
“The construction of this new Consulate is a sign of just how important the bilateral relationship is. We are constructing this building for the future, a common future, that we shared each day more, something we have done for centuries and will continue doing forever. I would like to end this speech as I always do, by simply asking that God bless both the United States and Mexico, and today particularly, this region that unites us.”
