U.S. EMBASSY

[meroberts]

Hi everyone,

For those of you who were unable to attend the Town Hall meeting
organized by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City on behalf of the American
community in Guanajuato Capital, here is a brief report. Several
topics were discussed. Primarily, the U.S. Embassy personnel wanted to
inform the American community that they provide a wide range of
assistance to those who may be traveling and those of us who reside in
the area of ?El Bajio.? We happen to be under their district
jurisdiction. These services are provided through the American Citizen
Services (ACS) Unit.

You will find all topics of information and answers more accurately by
visiting their website at:
http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/citizen_services.html

Here is a list of services provided:

? Safety and Security Announcements
? Information on Travel Safety Abroad
? Registration
? Passports and Citizenship
? Notaries & Authenticatication and Apostilles (a process of re-
certification requested by many foreign countries)
? Death of a U.S. Citizen
? Arrest of a U.S. Citizen
? Victims of a Crime
? Welfare and Whereabouts
? Missing Persons ? Locating someone in Mexico (Optional
? Missing Person ? Locating someone in the US (Optional
? Child abduction
? Emergency Preparedness
? Earthquakes, Hurricanes, etc.
? Medical, Legal, or Financial Assistance
? Voting
? Other Agencies? Service
? Social Security & Federal Benefits
? Internal Revenue Services and Selective Service
? Department of Homeland Security ? Citizenship and Immigration
? Information for Travelers to Mexico
? Entry requirement for Mexico
? Bringing items into Mexico/US
? Property
? Working in Mexico
? Doing business in Mexico
? Marriage and divorce in Mexico
? Obtaining copies of civil documents
? Spring Break in Mexico

The Embassy also offers a ?Virtual Presence Post? for American
citizens. Named ?ACS Virtual Presence Posts,? these posts are
physically located at: Office 101, Av. Paseo de la Reforma 305,
Colonia Cuauht?moc, Delegaci?n Cuauht?moc, Mexico City, D.F. C.P.
06500, MEXICO. Tel.: (52) (55) 50-80-20-00, 4369, E-mail:
VirtualConsulate...@state.gov/, http://elbajio.usvpp.gov/, and
http://spanish.elbajio.usvpp.gov/. They encouraged us to use them as
often as we wish.

And, of course, we can still count on our Consular Agency in San
Miguel Allende, Gto. at: Dr. Hern?ndez Macias 72, San Miguel de
Allende, Gto. C.P. 37700, MEXICO, Tel: (415) 152-2357. E-mail:
consulado...@gmail.com, http://elbajio.usvpp.gov/consularagencys...ldeallende
http://spanish.elbajio.usvpp.gov.agencia...l_de_allen...

In addition, they have encouraged us to register at the Embassy by
going to: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/. It takes 20
minutes or less to complete the information. We can enter part or all
of our relevant information, including our local address and phone
numbers, our permanent address, as well as our expected dates of
residence in, and departure from Mexico, in order to receive travel
updates, as well as safety and security information alerts from the
Embassy. When you register, you will be asked for a valid e-mail
address. You will also be given the option to permit them to give, or
not give, your information to anyone.

According with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare or
whereabouts may not be released in response to inquiries without your
expressed written authorization. Also, registration through the
website is not considered proof of citizenship. In addition to
registering, when you travel remember to leave a detailed itinerary
and a photocopy of your passport?s biographic page with a friend in
the United States (or in Mexico).

Here is an interesting and important comment. Several attendees asked
why San Miguel Allende (SMA) had a Consulate and Guanajuato Capital
did not. Their response was that the number of people in Guanajuato
Capital registered with the U.S. Embassy did not justify opening an
office here. I would encourage everyone to register; perhaps by
indicating that enough of us live here, we can provide enough evidence
so they can consider establishing a small office here that would
provide the same services, and save us time and money by not having
to go to SMA. I offered to apply for the job. HA!

Liaison between the U.S. Embassy and the American community in
Guanajuato Capital requested.

Toward the end of the meeting, the Embassy officials solicited a
volunteer to be a liaison between the U.S. Embassy and the American
community in Guanajuato Capital. I am always willing to serve the
community in some capacity, so I agreed to volunteer and I have asked
Sandra Ward to be my back-up in my absence.

I believe I have most of your e-mail addresses, but if you would like
to be included to receive this information from the U.S. Embassy,
please forward your e-mail address directly to me (mer-
mer-mx@hotmail.com).
All correspondence from me or Sandra from the U.S. Embassy will be
sent out to the community confidentially.
No address will ever be shown or shared with them or anyone else.

In addition to this report regarding the Town Hall meeting, I would
like to remind you that Joan Romero and I worked very hard to provide
you with a ?Questionnaire Form? that you could use to provide personal
and confidential information about yourselves in the event of an
accident. If you need medical attention and you are unconscious, or in
case of your unfortunate demise someone needs to know whom to contact.
Joan and I suggested that you write as much or as little as you wish
and that you seal the envelop and sign over the seal before giving to one of us,
or a good friend, or even a trusted neighbor who could help us decide what to
do in those instances.

Surprisingly, neither of us heard from anyone except for a couple of
folks. I?d like to assure you that this form will be kept strictly
confidential if you choose to complete and forward it to us.
I am attaching it again. It is long, but you can fill it on-line and just
complete those parts that you believe are pertinent to your personal
situation.

In the future, I will be posting all U.S. Embassy information
permanently on https://groups.google.com/group/meroberts and here.

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please write
to me directly mer-mx@hotmail.com), or if you feel that your
question will benefit others in the community, please go to:
https://groups.google.com/group/meroberts, register, and
post your questions there. I will keep track of them and, when necessary
and possible, I will invite the appropriate staff member from the Embassy
to address these questions directly.

Thank you,

Martha Roberts