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Ambassador Ken Salazar and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, visit Palenque
3 MINUTE READ
October 18, 2021

Palenque, Mexico October 18, 2021 — Today, Ambassador Ken Salazar welcomed President Joe Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry in his first visit to Mexico since taking on the climate envoy role. The two met with President of Mexico Andres Manual Lopez Obrador, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Esteban Moctezuma Barrgán, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Maria Luisa Albores González, Secretary of Wellbeing C. Javier May Rodríguez, Chiapas Governor Dr. Rutilio Escandón Cadenas, and Foreign Ministry Director of North American Affairs Roberto Velasco Álvarez to discuss ways to expand collaboration between the two countries on tackling the climate crisis.


Ambassador Salazar welcomed Secretary Kerry, “I am honored to have my friend John Kerry spend time in Southern Mexico in search of solutions that address the climate challenge of our planet. His leadership on the world stage and pioneering work on climate change will help chart a plan where the United States and Mexico can tackle the challenge through actions that create jobs and conserves our planet for future generations.”

The delegation toured one of the Mexican government’s social agricultural projects Sembrando Vida, or Sowing Life, near Palenque, Chiapas in southern Mexico and spoke with program beneficiaries. The is similar to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Conservation Corps and provides a job and skills training to enrollees. Sembrando Vida has 400,000 participants.

“The visit to Sembrando Vida in Palenque gave us an opportunity to have a more complete understanding of the program. I thank President Lopez Obrador for his hospitality and for introducing us to beneficiaries so we could hear about their experience. “ said Ambassador Salazar.

For his part, Secretary Kerry said “I firmly believe that the United States, Mexico, and the world must act together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade if we hope to limit global warming, and in doing so stave off the worst impacts of climate change. As one of the world’s 20 largest economies, Mexico has a critical role to play and today, I’m am happy to have had the opportunity to speak with President Lopez Obrador and his team to begin to expand our collaboration.”