US Senate confirms Ken Salazar as new ambassador to Mexico

Published August 12th, 2021

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ken Salazar, former secretary of the interior, to be the next ambassador to Mexico.

Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard took to Twitter to congratulate the new ambassador, calling the appointment “good news for the close relationship that exists between the administrations led by Presidents López Obrador and Biden.”

In Salazar’s confirmation hearing on July 28, topics discussed included immigration, drug trafficking, and the North American trade agreement, as well as the violence that has plagued Mexico in recent decades.

Salazar, who is of Hispanic descent, promised to address the “root causes” of immigration and work on security issues, which he called a shared responsibility between the two countries.

Salazar, 66, also emphasized the importance of protecting U.S. investments in Mexico.

His nomination was welcomed by immigration advocacy groups like the Immigration Hub, which praised his “deep roots in the southwest, Mexican heritage, and broad experience.”

Salazar was secretary of the interior under former President Barack Obama. Before that, he served as a senator representing the state of Colorado and was the state’s attorney general.