Noticiero Movil

mexican consul salutes during Independence DayJulian Escutia with the Mexican Consul stands for the Mexican National Anthem during Mexican Independence Day festivities in North Las Vegas on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. (Jeff Scheid/Nevada Independent)

Departing consul looks back on his 3 years representing Mexico in Las Vegas

by

From processing passports to promoting Mexican art, the consulate plays a key role for Nevada’s many Mexican-born residents.

Julián Escutia Rodríguez, the consul of Mexico in Las Vegas, is leaving the post and the city on Jan. 31 after three years — during which he helped organize COVID-19 vaccination and testing events at the consulate, worked to improve information distribution, organized community cultural events and promoted Mexican culture and the contributions of Mexicans in the United States. 

While his replacement is not known yet, and there’s no timeframe for when the new consul will be appointed, the Mexican Consulate will not go unattended as Vice Consul Jeremias Guzmán Barrera will step up during the interim, Escutia Rodríguez said. 

The consulate acts as a representative of Mexico’s government abroad and is directed by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mexico has more than 50 consulates in the United States — some serve entire states while others focus on cities or counties.

Consuls such as Escutia Rodríguez build relationships with local and state governments and advocate for the rights of individuals born in Mexico. Consulates conduct more than 50 document procedures involving Mexican passports, consular registration, voter identification for Mexico, birth and marriage certificates and military identification cards. 

In Nevada, Mexicans account for 39 percent (the largest bloc) of Latino immigrants.

Escutia Rodríguez, who took over the seat in September 2020, said career diplomats often serve in cycles of three or four years, meaning it’s time for him to move on to other opportunities. 

“I have already completed three years in Las Vegas. Three very nice years, full of challenges and opportunities,” Escutia Rodríguez told The Nevada Independent in an interview in Spanish for the Cafecito Nevada podcast and radio show. 

He looked back at the challenges and achievements of his tenure and shared what’s next. The interview has been translated into English and edited for brevity and clarity.

Read the rest of this article, which was shared with Noticiero Móvil, over at The Nevada Independent. This story was reported by Jannelle Calderon and originally published on January 19, 2024.