Defending the Mexican community abroad is a key priority for the new administration, says Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente

• The Foreign Secretary presented the Mexican Government's foreign policy priorities, which include protecting the Mexican community abroad, strengthening the Mexican Foreign Service, advancing the feminist foreign policy, and refining the Mexican Model of Human Mobility.
• He announced appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirming the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and the Head of the North America Unit.

Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez today presented the Mexican Government's foreign policy priorities under the leadership of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, and announced new appointments within the ministry.

In his remarks, he highlighted the strong mandate of President Claudia Sheinbaum's government: "She has received unprecedented popular support [...] Our task now is to continue the transformation of our national public life, finding the best ways for our foreign policy to both benefit from and contribute to this ongoing change."

"Acting in accordance with our constitutional principles of foreign policy has been extraordinarily valuable in Mexico's history, particularly for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he emphasized.

"Mexico is seen as a reliable country, a bridge between nations, known for finding diplomatic solutions and alternatives," he added.

The Foreign Secretary discussed the Mexican Government's foreign policy priorities, including the defense and protection of the Mexican community abroad. "We are here to defend Mexico's national sovereignty and interests. For this very reason, we will make defending our communities abroad a foreign policy priority during this administration," he said.

He emphasized strengthening the Mexican Foreign Service (SEM): "My only agenda is to bolster the SEM. I'm here to work shoulder to shoulder with all of you, reassessing Mexico's best role in the current international context. My goal is to reinforce the spirit of service, one of the SEM's greatest assets, and to improve the Matías Romero Institute."

The Foreign Secretary noted that the feminist foreign policy would be advanced "so that in the coming years we can achieve true equality between men and women in our representations around the world."

On migration, Secretary de la Fuente stressed that the Mexican Model of Human Mobility will be fine-tuned.

He also highlighted plans to strengthen Mexico's relationship with North America, consolidate its leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean, approach relations with Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Arab world from an innovative perspective, and reaffirm our country's presence in multilateral forums.

The Foreign Secretary reiterated Mexico's unwavering commitment to international peace and security. Additionally, Mexico will continue to promote development cooperation and the recovery of its historical memory.

To achieve these objectives, the Foreign Secretary announced appointments within the Foreign Ministry. María Teresa Mercado Pérez will continue as Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, and Roberto Velasco Álvarez as Chief Officer for North America. Raquel Serur Smeke has been appointed Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Enrique Ochoa Martínez is the new Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga will serve as Legal Advisor, and Jorge Islas López will head the newly established Coordination for Consulates.

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Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean Raquel Serur Smeke: Holds a degree in Modern Literature from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a Master of Arts from the University of East Anglia. She has been a professor at UNAM's Faculty of Philosophy and Letters since 1976. From 2019 to April 2024, she served as Mexico's Ambassador to Ecuador.

Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Enrique Ochoa Martínez: Holds a Master's degree in Political Economy from the University of Essex. He served as Mexico's Ambassador to Kenya in 2023, and as Political Coordinator for the Security Council at Mexico's Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) from 2018 to 2023. He was also an advisor to the Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017.

Chief Officer for North America Roberto Velasco Álvarez: Holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Law degree from the Ibero-American University. He served as the Foreign Ministry Communications Director from 2018 to 2020, and has headed the North America Unit since June 2020.

Legal Advisor Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga: A career Foreign Service officer, his postings include the Mexican Embassy in the United States and Mexico's Permanent Mission to the UN. He also worked in Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Foreign Ministry.

General Coordinator of Consulates Jorge Islas López: Holds a Law degree from UNAM and a Master's degree in Law from Columbia University in New York City. He had been serving as Consul General of Mexico in New York since May 2019.