Mexico’s Senate approves Consul General’s promotion to Los Angeles from San Diego
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexico’s Senate has unanimously approved the Consul General in San Diego to take on the same role in Los Angeles.
The nomination of Carlos González Gutiérrez was made earlier this year, but his confirmation didn’t take place until this week in Mexico City.
He has been working with Mexico’s foreign service since 1987 and has held various posts in U.S. cities with strong Mexican communities.
González Gutiérrez has also worked in Mexico’s Embassy in Washington D.C.
In 2009, he became Consul General in Sacramento, California. Six years later, he was given the same post in Austin, Texas.
A little more than four years ago, he was named Mexico’s Consul General in San Diego.
Mexico’s Consul General in San Diego heading for Los Angeles
“I have a great team here at the consulate in San Diego; I love what I do. To be consul general here in San Diego is a treat,” said González Gutiérrez back in July.
His tenure in San Diego has faced many challenges, especially during the coronavirus pandemic when he turned the consulate into a testing facility and then a vaccination center for anyone, especially the undocumented.
González Gutiérrez was also pivotal in providing the vaccines to young people who had no access to the shots in Mexico.
“In Mexico, people with no U.S. visa had to wait; it was extremely difficult. To me, that was kind of unfair,” said González Gutiérrez. “It was unfair to most of the people in Tijuana, and fortunately, there were many people here in San Diego, local leaders like Supervisor Nora Vargas who understood that San Diego would not be fully safe from the pandemic unless Tijuana residents were as well.”
During his time in San Diego, González Gutiérrez has also been instrumental in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for college scholarships given to students from both sides of the border.
He’s promoted literacy and given out books to underprivileged and underserved communities in both San Diego and Tijuana.
González Gutiérrez himself is the author of several publications about the relations between the governments of Mexico and the United States.
He is married to Alina, and they have two daughters, Marina and Camila.
The exact date of González Gutiérrez departure from San Diego has not been announced, but it’s expected to take place by the end of the year.
Next week, he is expected to formally accept the post during a ceremony in Mexico City.
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