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Mexico Names Council to Advise Government MEXICO CITY (AP) April 20, 2004 — Mexican officials have elected 100 people to advise the government on topics related to Mexicans living in the United States, the country's foreign relations department said Tuesday. Of those elected to the advisory council, 72 were born in Mexico, Mexico's foreign relations department said in a statement. "We have looked to open as much as possible the process of exchanging divergent ideas and opinions,'' said Candido Morales, president of the Institute of Mexicans Living Abroad. "We aren't interested in imposing any particular point of view,'' Morales said. "The diversity of the people who will make up the advisory council is an encouraging and stimulating sign that shows the vitality of the communities where they come from.'' Among those chosen were Carlos Truan, a state senator from Texas; Guadalupe Gomez, president of the Zacatecas Federation of Southern California; and Esperanza Chacon, a member of the Tepeyec Association of New York. At least a third of the advisory council's members will be replaced every two years. Since taking office in December 2000, President Vicente Fox has made the rights of Mexicans living abroad a priority. In August, he announced the creation of the advisory council, saying it would represent the 20 million Mexicans living in the United States and replace a popular presidential office for migrant affairs. Many migrant groups opposed the move, saying they preferred the old office for migrant affairs, created by Fox and led by Juan Hernandez. Hernandez won over many Mexicans and migrant groups in the United States, but his off-the-cuff policy statements reportedly angered former Foreign Relations Secretary Jorge Castaneda.
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