Appointments announced in Foreign Ministry and Mexican consulates in US

• The appointments are for Director General of Consular Protection and Strategic Planning; Director General of Special Affairs; and consuls in Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock and Milwaukee
• The aim is to strengthen the ministry's support for the Mexican community abroad, continue the good international security cooperation while respecting Mexico's sovereignty, and advance the commitment to a feminist and inclusive foreign policy.

Counselor Vanessa Calva Ruiz has been named Director General of Consular Protection and Strategic Planning,  and María Araceli De Haas Matamoros will become the Director General of Special Affairs.

Vanessa Calva Ruiz holds master's degrees in international studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Matías Romero Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). She has been a career diplomat for more than twenty years. She has served as Director General in the office of the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs; Executive Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad; and Deputy Director General for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad. She has been posted abroad  to the Mexican embassy in the United States, and the consulates in Los Angeles, California, and Denver, Colorado. Until today, Vanessa Calva headed the consulate in Leamington, Canada, where she focused particularly on labor rights and the inclusion of vulnerable groups.

María Araceli De Haas has a master's degree in international affairs and an MA in Military Administration for Internal Security and National Defense from the National Defense College. She is a doctoral candidate in public administration and a doctoral student in development and national security at the Mexican Institute for Strategic Studies in National Security and Defense. She has served as technical secretary of the Bicameral National Security Commission during the 64th Congress, and has worked as a Director in the Foreign Ministry since 2021.

In addition, the following members of the Mexican Foreign Service (SEM) have been appointed to head consulates in the U.S.:  Roberto Nicolás Vázquez, Detroit; Leticia Maki Teramoto Sakamoto, Indianapolis; Soileh Padilla Mayer, Kansas City; Ambassador Carlos Ignacio Giralt Cabrales, Little Rock; and Ambassador Claudia Franco Hijuelos, Milwaukee.

Roberto Nicolás Vázquez has a bachelor’s degree in international relations. He has been consul in Orlando; Deputy Director General for North America; and Director of Political Affairs for North America. He joined the Foreign Service in 2007.

Leticia Maki Teramoto Sakamoto has a master's degree in diplomatic studies and a bachelor's degree in international relations. She has served as Deputy Director General for North America and recently as Director General for Consular Protection and Strategic Planning. She joined the Foreign Service in 1999.

Soileh Padilla Mayer has a master's degree in alternative development strategies from the International Institute of Social Studies at The Hague and a bachelor's degree in international relations from the UNAM. She has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 2002, and a career diplomat since 2009. Since August 20, 2013, she has been in charge of cultural and academic affairs at the Mexican embassy in Canada.

Ambassador Carlos Ignacio Giralt Cabrales holds a degree in economics. He has served as deputy director general for consular affairs and protection, and as consul in Philadelphia and most recently in Guangzhou. He joined the Foreign Service in 1991.

Ambassador Claudia Franco Hijuelos has a master's degree in U.S. foreign policy and a bachelor's degree in international relations. She has been head of the consulates in Vancouver and Phoenix, and most recently served as Director General for Asia-Pacific. She joined the Foreign Service in 1980.

The Foreign Ministry reiterates its commitment to a feminist and inclusive foreign policy in the U.S. The officials will be charged with incorporating these principles into their consular work for the benefit of Mexico's citizens.