The 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico was celebrated in Brownsville Monday morning with a ceremony at Gateway International Bridge organized by the consulates here and in Matamoros.
Official guests in attendance were Carlos Ballesteros, secretary general of Matamoros; Brownsville City Commission for Dist. 3 Roy De los Santos; Bishop of Matamoros Eugenio Andrés Lira; Tater Ortiz, Brownsville U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Director; U.S. Consul in Matamoros Yolanda Parra; Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley; Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr.; and Mexican Consul in Brownsville Juan Carlos Cué Vega.
De los Santos, representing Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez and the Brownsville City Commission, deemed the ceremony a “tremendous event” and said he took great pleasure in being a part of it.
“Our countries share a 2,000 mile border, and whether you look at this as the start of that border or the end of that border, there’s a great significance here in Brownsville, and I take a great pride in having seen it evolve over the years, and now to see the culmination of 200 years of relations between our two countries, and especially at this point in a time when they are so healthy and so positive,” he said.
“We see throughout our country and we see throughout the world turmoil, and even within the United States a lot of people use the word crisis when they talk about the border. Those of us who live here and who have lived here our entire lives know better.”
De los Santos said that, while serving as president of Sombrero Festival in 2008, he was especially proud of being able to point to the close relationship between Brownsville and Matamoros as “the example that the rest of the world should be following, not just the cities in the United States, not just cities in Mexico, but the rest of the world.”
“When two people, when two states, when two countries, when two cultures can come together, they form their own unique identity,” he said.
Consul General Parra said she was also honored to take part in the ceremony, describing Counsel General Vega as “not only one of the best collaborators that I’ve had the pleasure of working with, but also a friend.”
“This is quite a momentous occasion for all of us. … I guarantee and know that all my colleagues and all the consulates, both Mexican and United States consulates all over both countries, are celebrating today,” she said.
Parra said Mexico has long been one of the United States’ closest partners and that “we’re also strengthened by our common values, shared linkages and the ties that we have every day.”
“Today we celebrate this era of cooperation and respect in the work that we do every day to achieve our mutual prosperity, because that’s our goal, for both countries to be prosperous,” she said.
Monday’s celebration continued later in the morning at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art for a panel discussion, “200 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Mexico and the United States Past, Present and Future,” featuring historians Celemente Rendon and Antonio Zavaleta as well as Ballesteros, Parra, Trevino and Vega.
