UDLA

Gov. Bill Richardson Goes to Mexico

Gov. Bill Richardson made a quick personal trip to Mexico this weekend.  The Commerce Secretary nominee attended a regular meeting at the Universidad de las Américas, Puebla (UDLA)- my alma mater - in his capacity as a member of UDLA's Corporate Advisory BoardThe Governor met with the current President of the UDLA, former Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Ernesto Derbez, as well as a group of prominent executives who serve as advisors to the UDLA.  During the meeting, Gov. Richardson would not answer specific questions with respect to President-elect Obama's plans for NAFTA or any other area of trade or foreign policy, other than to say that the President-elect is very conscious of the importance of the U.S. relationship with Mexico and with Hispanics in general.  Gov. Richardson has not only been a prominent advocate for a more engaged relationship with Latin America, he's been a grassroots activist as well: his history with the UDLA began when he studied abroad there, becoming an alum.  Years later, as a U.S. Congressman, he worked to expand exchanges between students in the U.S. and the UDLA to create a network that would "build better bridges of understanding" between the future generations of the two countries.  More recently, Gov. Richardson was the commencement speaker for the 2003 graduating class, at which time he received an Honoris Causa Doctorate degree from the UDLA.  Gov. Richardson also has a long history working with NDN, speaking about the kind of new partnership that should be forged with Latin America.

Gov. Richardson and former Secretary Derbez
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