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Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Services |
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Many American citizens are not aware of what the US consulate can do for an individual, traveling or living abroad. A consulate office can be very helpful with the following travel related situations:
Lost or stolen passports
Logistics and communications assistance in case of severe injury or illness of a traveler
Logistics and communications assistance in case of death of a traveler
As American citizens, the US Consulate serves as a frontline representative for those in trouble and detained by law enforcement or military of a foreign country.
Assistance to Detained American Citizens |
The U.S. Consulate, when notified by local authorities of the arrest of an American citizen, will visit the detained person within 24 hours and at least once every quarter during his incarceration. Upon learning of an American's arrest, the Consulate seeks to visit the citizen to insure there has been no abuse or mistreatment, inform him of his right to legal counsel, provide him with a list of attorneys from which he may select legal counsel at his own expense, and to obtain personal data which will assist the Consulate in communicating with family or friends who may be able to provide financial and other assistance.
Proof of U.S. Citizenship
In order to receive consular services, each prisoner must prove that he/she is a U.S. citizen. This can be most easily accomplished by presenting to the visiting consular officer or having relatives send the Consulate a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate and original identification, or U.S. passport, certificate of U.S. citizenship or U.S. Naturalization certificate.
Some of the things the Consulate CAN assist with if detained in a foreign country: |
- Provide a list of local attorneys or contact an attorney selected by the accused.
- Contact relatives or friends to notify them of the citizen's case, if authorized by the prisoner.
- Relay requests to family and friends for money or other aid.
- Write to relatives about a citizen's well-being.
- Accept funds as a trust fund deposit and dispense them as instructed by the citizen or the remitter.
- Work with prison officials to ensure fair and humane treatment consistent with that granted to nationals of that country and ensure Americans are afforded due process under THAT COUNTRY's law.
- Protest mistreatment of a detained American
Some of the things the Consulate CANNOT help you out with (you're on your own!): |
- Represent a U.S. Citizen at trial, give legal advice or pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S. Government funds.
- Intervene with the due process of law.
- Provide medical treatment except in cases of dire emergency.
- Run errands for a prisoner.
- Assist with Immigration related matters
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consular Agency in Cozumel Closed in January 2014 |
Consular offices around the world open and close based on need and the U.S. Federal budget. At a meeting held in February of 2014, Merida Consulate representatives explained that decisions were made some years ago to close several Consular agency offices and the Cozumel office was the last of 4 offices in Mexico to close in 2014.
Until January 2014 the US Consular Agent in Cozumel was Ms. Anne Harris who has since retired.
Currently the Cozumel Consular Agent Position is Vacant and Merida Consular Human Resources department is now searching for a part time replacement person to be on call for emergency needs which are defined as those incidents whereby a United States Citizen ~
gets arrested
is hospitalized with a medical emergency
loses all his or her identification and money or
dies while out of the US on vacation
As this Consular Agent position is filled, contact information will be provided here.
Meanwhile, the Consular Agency of Playa del Carmen will be handling any U.S. Citizen emergency needs until the part time Cozumel Consular Agent position is filled. In addition, since Cozumel's office will not reopen, from this point forward all routine services will be handled by the Playa del Carmen office by appointment only. Routine services consist of ~
General information
Notary services
Death Certificates
Passport renewals and cards
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Office - Playa del Carmen, QRoo Mexico |
The Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen is open for walk-in services
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
but works by appointment only for routine services.
Office Location:
U.S. Consular Agency Playa del Carmen
"The Palapa" Calle 1 Sur, Entre Avenidas 15 Y 20
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77710
At any time, for a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen, call:
Phone Numbers:
Office:
Dialing from the US: 011 52 984 873 0303
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via land line: 01 984 873 0303
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via cell phone: 984 873 0303
U.S. Vonage phone: 202 370 6708
Dialing from the US their Cell Phone: 011 52 1 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via land line to their Cell Phone:
1 045 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Mexico or Cozumel via cell phone to their Cell Phone:
1 984 807 8355
Dialing their Cell Phone from within Playa via land line to their Cell Phone:
044 984 807 8355
Dialing from within Playa via cell phone to their Cell Phone: 984 807 8355
To set up appointments for routine matters utilize the phone numbers above or send an email request to
Email: pdcca.appointments@gmail.com
and/or
Email: playausca@hotmail.com
Website of US Consulate Office in Merida
Website of US Embassy in Mexico
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consulate Office - Merida Yucatan Mexico |
Address:
U.S. Consulate Merida
Calle 60 No. 338-K x 29 y 31
Col. Alcala Martin Merida, Yucatan, Mexico 97050
Dialing from the US: 011 52 999 942 5700
Dialing from elsewhere within Mexico: 01 999 942 5700 ext. 5722, 5723, or 5752
Dialing from within Merida: 942-5700
In the case of a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen occurring after close of business, please call the switchboard number above to be connected with the duty officer.
Email: meridacons@state.gov
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Consular Agency Cancun |
The Consular Agency in Cancun is open for walk-in services
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Address:
U.S. Consular Agency Cancun
Plaza Caracol II, 3er Piso No. 320-323
Km 8.5 Blvd. Kuculkan,
Zona Hotelera Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77500
At any time 24/7, for a life or death emergency involving a United States citizen, call:
Dialing from the US: 011 52 998 845 4364
Dialing from elsewhere within Mexico: 045 998 845 4364
Dialing from within Cancun: 044 998 845 4364
In Case of Crisis Abroad Involving American Citizens |
When a crisis occurs abroad, such as a natural disaster, transportation accident, civil or political unrest or a terrorist incident, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy abroad utilize a variety of means to communicate with the American public.
If You Are in a Foreign Country Involved in a Crisis:
Monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page and the home page for the U.S. Embassy in the foreign country for up-to-date information about the crisis.
If a crisis occurs in a country you are visiting, contact your family in the United States to reassure them of your whereabouts and safety.
Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate if you need help.
Be sure to register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on-line, by phone, email, fax or in person.
Registration helps consular staff contact you if necessary and allows you to receive situation updates.
Monitor Voice of America and BBC broadcasts for announcements.
If You Are In The United States with a Family Member Traveling in a Crisis Affected Country
Families in the United States whose U.S. citizen relatives abroad may be directly affected by the crisis can contact the Department of State through our Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management at the ~
Hotline for American Travelers in Crisis Countries: 202 647 5225.
Tourist Services & Contacts - US Ambassador to Mexico | Who is the US Ambassador to Mexico Now - Effective August 2011 - Present
Earl Anthony Wayne was born in Sacramento, California in 1950 and grew up in nearby Concord, where he graduated from High School in 1968. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1972), Master's degrees in Political Science from Stanford University (1973) and Princeton University (1975), and a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University (1984). While at UC Berkeley, he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Known as "Tony" to friends and close acquaintances, he married and had a daughter and a son.
A career diplomat since 1975, he was first posted overseas as a political officer in Rabat, Morocco, after serving as a China analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the State Department in Washington, DC. He was assigned to serve in the Executive Secretariat at the State Department under Secretaries of State Cyrus Vance and Edmund Muskie, in 1980. He was asked to serve as Special Assistant to Secretaries of State Alexander Haig and George Shultz, from 1981 to 1983, and was named First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, 1984–87, where he followed French politics and encouraged counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation between the US and France.
Wayne then took a leave of absence and worked as the national security correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor for two years. He returned to Foreign Service as the Director for Regional Affairs for the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Counter-Terrorism, from 1989 to 1991, during a period marked by the Gulf War as well as expanded CT cooperation with the countries of the former Warsaw Pact. He served as Director for Western European Affairs at the National Security Council from June 1991 until mid-1993, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the European Union until 1996, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Canada (1996–97).
His appointment as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European Affairs in 1997 gave Wayne broader responsibilities including in the management of U.S. relations with the European Union, the OECD, the G-8, regional economic and global issues, and Nazi restitution issues. He played an important role in organizing the Stability Pact Summit for South West Europe in 1999. These experiences led to his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs (EB) from June 2000 until June 2006, during which he was promoted to Career Minister (2002).
In EB, he oversaw work on post-conflict economic assistance, economic sanctions, international debt, development and economic reform policies (including the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation), combating the financing of terrorism, international energy policy, trade, intellectual property and investment policies, international telecommunications policy, international transportation policies, support for U.S. businesses overseas, and efforts to end trade in "conflict diamonds". He also had a leading role in coordinating reconstruction assistance and pledges to countries hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami and to Pakistan, after the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir.
Wayne served as Interim Under Secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs in 2005, during which he also served as U.S. Foreign Affairs "Sous-Sherpa," helping prepare the Gleneagles G8 Summit, in addition to his duties as Assistant Secretary. By serving as Assistant Secretary from 2000 to 2006, Wayne became the longest serving Assistant Secretary since the inception of the Economic Bureau.[3] President George W. Bush nominated Earl Anthony Wayne Ambassador to Argentina, in 2006, and he presented his credentials as Ambassador to Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana on November 6, 2006.
Earl Anthony Wayne accepted the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina post during a period of tense relations between the center-left President of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner and President Bush. He maintained a policy of close communication with the Argentine Government and of a more lively cultural involvement of embassy with its host country. He championed interaction between US musicians and other well known cultural figures with Argentine youth, as well as increased embassy outreach activities to needy Argentine communities and with worthwhile Argentine Non-Governmental Organizations. His public outreach events included a "voters day" during the 2008 US Presidential Election at the US embassy with music and American food for the several thousand U.S. nationals living in Buenos Aires who were eligible to vote via absentee ballot.
That year, he received the Paul Wellstone Anti-Slavery Ambassador of the Year Award for his work against trafficking in persons. Wayne had worked closely and successfully with several Argentine NGOs, Argentine legislators and officials to encourage stronger laws and practices to fight the trafficking in persons, especially women and children He has also received the Department of State's Distinguished Honor Award and Presidential Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Awards.
President Barack Obama nominated Vilma Socorro Martínez as the new U.S. Ambassador to Argentina in June 2009, upon which Ambassador Wayne accepted a post as Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he oversees all U.S. government non-military assistance to that country.
Secretary Clinton recognized Wayne's work in Afghanistan by granting him the Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement by Senior Officers in October, 2010. The award recognized Ambassador Wayne's leadership in reorganizing, reforming, redirecting, and reinvigorating U.S. economic, development, and governance policies and programs in Afghanistan. In late 2010, President Obama nominated Wayne and two other veteran diplomats to the rank of "Career Ambassador", and the Senate gave its approval in December.
In late May, 2010, Wayne took over the position of Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. In that role, under Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, he oversees all Embassy programs and staff, works closely with the Afghan government, coordinates with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and other elements of the International Community and Afghan society. On May 24, 2011, President Obama submitted Wayne's nomination to be the next US Ambassador to Mexico, to follow Carlos Pascual who departed in March following Wikileaks disclosures. On August 2, 2011 Earl A. Wayne's nomination was approved and he became the most recent US Ambassador to Mexico.
Who was the previous US Ambassador to Mexico 2009 - 2011?
3/19/11 - The ambassador of the United States in Mexico, Carlos Pascual, presented his resignation on Saturday in the middle of diplomatic frictions resulting from cables leaked by Wikileaks where Pascual's office described the inefficiency and the internal conflicts of the Mexican police forces.
The resignation happened less than two weeks after the president Barack Obama was meeting Caldron in the White House and it seems to be one of the strongest aftereffects for the filtration of thousands of confidential documents of the diplomatic American service. Clinton said that she and Obama accepted the request of Pascual's resignation. He added that both asked him to (Pascual) to remain in Mexico to assure a tidy transition.
President Obama nominated Carlos Pascual as the next United States Ambassador to Mexico in June 2009. The United States Senate confirmed the nomination on August 7 and Ambassador Pascual presented his credentials to the Mexican government on August 9, 2009.
Ambassador Pascual has had a 23 year career in the United States Department of State, National Security Council (NSC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He served as coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the U.S. Department of State, where he led and organized U.S. government planning to help stabilize and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil strife.
Ambassador Pascual was Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (2003), where he oversaw regional and country assistance strategies to promote market-oriented and democratic states. From October 2000 until August 2003, Ambassador Pascual served as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. From July 1998 to January 2000, Ambassador Pascual served as Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, and from 1995 to 1998 as Director for the same region. From 1983 to 1995, Ambassador Pascual worked for USAID in Sudan, South Africa and Mozambique, and as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia.
Most recently, Ambassador Pascual was Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Ambassador Pascual received his M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1982 and his B.A. from Stanford University in 1980. He has served on the board of directors for the National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House, and the Internews Network. He has also served on the Advisory Group for the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
From the US Embassy website
Who was the US Ambassador to Mexico 2002 - 2008?
FORMER Ambassador Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza, Jr. (born July 7, 1959, in Brownsville, Texas), an American lawyer and former county judge in Texas, was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2002 until January 2009.
In a ceremony June 9, 2009 in Mexico City, Mexico bestowed its highest honor available for foreigners to former U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza: the Order of the Aztec Eagle.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa indicated that Garza was recognized for his work in helping to strengthen ties between the two countries. Espinoza's statement also said that thanks to Garza's work, Mexico and the United States are working together "to face and overcome important challenges such as organized crime."
Garza, the grandson of Mexican immigrants to the U.S, graduated from Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville, the seat of Cameron County on the Gulf of Mexico coast in far south Texas.
Antonio O. Garza, Jr. was named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico by President George W. Bush in the summer of 2002. He presented his credentials to Mexican President Vicente Fox on November 22 of that year and took charge of one of the largest diplomatic missions in the world. At the time, he was the United States' youngest Chief of Mission serving abroad. Announcing the appointment, President Bush said, "The United States and Mexico share not only a border, but a rich history of common economic and cultural interests. Tony Garza has an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the United States and Mexico and its impact on the people of both nations." During his tenure, Mr. Garza has focused his attentions on American interests abroad, as well as the law enforcement and counterterrorism aspects of this most important, and indeed unique, bilateral relationship.
Before being sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Mr. Garza served from 1999-2002 as Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, a statewide regulatory body charged with overseeing Texas's then-$60 billion energy sector. With his election to the Commission, he became the first Hispanic Republican elected to statewide office in Texas history. As Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Garza was a strong advocate for the protection and responsible stewardship of Texas's natural resources and was hailed by the state's leading newspapers for bringing balance to an otherwise industry-dominated commission. During this time, Mr. Garza also served as vice-chairman on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which brings together 39 oil- and gas-producing states. The Commission seeks to promote responsible energy policy and adoption of best practices in the United States.
Prior to his election as Railroad Commissioner in 1998, Mr. Garza was a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (now Bracewell & Giuliani), a Houston-based law firm.
In 1994, George W. Bush, shortly after being elected Governor of Texas, made Mr. Garza his first nominee, naming him Secretary of State and Senior Policy Advisor. During his tenure, Texas was the first state to provide Web-based election results on-line and in real time. Mr. Garza also advocated for the passage of legislation aimed at increasing voter participation and decreasing election fraud. As Governor Bush's lead liaison on border and Mexico affairs, Mr. Garza worked on issues as diverse as free trade, the environment, and public health.
In 1988, Mr. Garza was the first Republican elected to countywide office in traditionally Democratic south Texas. Mr. Garza served six years as Cameron County Judge, the county's top executive. He aggressively worked to provide water and sanitation services to lower income areas called "colonias" and pursued healthcare partnerships aimed at new immigrants and indigent and marginalized populations. Regarded as a fiscal conservative, Mr. Garza also led Cameron County's efforts to raise its bond rating with industry leaders. Cameron County was, at that time, one of only two U.S.-Mexico border counties to enjoy an "A" rating. In 1990, the Texas Jaycees named Mr. Garza one of their Five Outstanding Young Texans, noting not only his government service but also his work in the community. As Cameron County Judge, Mr. Garza also worked closely with his Mexican counterparts at the state and federal levels and was instrumental in the permitting and construction of two international bridges linking his community to Mexico. He has also been recognized for his work in the region by the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce and was named Border Texan of the Year in 2003.
Mr. Garza's public service highlights his faith in the power of education. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Mr. Garza to his Special Commission on 21st Century Higher Education. Mr. Garza was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Exes, the alumni association for the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University the SMU School of Law, and is a member of the SMU Board of Trustees. In 2004, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which provides support for young Hispanics to pursue higher education, honored Mr. Garza as a member of its Alumni Hall of Fame for demonstrating the power of higher education and mentorship. Mr. Garza has delivered commencement addresses at the Universities of Texas at Austin, Edinburg, El Paso, and San Antonio, as well as SMU, SMU Law, Texas A&M and Austin College.
Mr. Garza's commitment to democracy and free and fair elections has been evident throughout his career. In 2005, the University of Denver recognized this commitment when it presented him with its Distinguished Diplomat Award. Earlier in his career, as a member of then-President George H.W. Bush's official delegation, Mr. Garza observed federal elections in El Salvador, later leading a delegation to observe voter registration drives in Nicaragua. In 1993, Mr. Garza also participated in a program to study emerging democracies in Hungary and Poland.
Mr. Garza often points to his time as a volunteer coach of age-group soccer and J.V. basketball at St. Joseph's Academy as the most gratifying experience of his career. Mr. Garza is a past President of Rio Grande Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and served as a director of the Boys and Girls Club, the United Way of Southern Cameron County, and the Brownsville Adult Literacy Council, as well as participating in H.O.S.T., a Brownsville Independent School District Program aimed at mentoring disadvantaged youth. The Rio Grande Council Boy Scouts of America recognized him as Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 1996. Mr. Garza has made security one of the key focal points of his tenure as Ambassador to Mexico and has also served on a number of law enforcement commissions, including the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. In 2005, the Greater Austin Crime Commission honored Mr. Garza with the Joe Kilgore Award.
Mr. Garza cites the Marist Brothers as particularly influential in his life, in particular Brother Joseph Scanlon, Mr. Garza's high school religion teacher, who inspired him to lead a life devoted to serving the public. Brother Joseph's focus on an individual's need to live purposefully shaped Mr. Garza's future endeavors, instilling in him the belief that public service is not a career but rather a calling. In 1999, Texas Tech University presented him with their Distinguished Public Servant Award in recognition of his years of service to the people of Texas.
Mr. Garza received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1983 from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He was chosen as one of the Outstanding Young Texas Exes in 1989 and received the SMU School of Law's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. In 2007, Mr. Garza was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at both the University of Texas and SMU. Most recently, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Austin College in May 2008.
Mr. Garza is married to María Asunción Aramburuzabala. A native of Mexico City, she serves as President of Tresalia Capital and also serves on a number of Mexican corporate boards. Mrs. Garza is considered among the country's leading business people. The couple resides in Mexico City with her two sons.
From Wikipedia....the free encyclopedia |
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