Tags
Bancomext, George Mason University, International Commerce & Policy, Mexico, School of Public Policy, Senate of the Republic, Travel
Tuesday, May 22: Our first lecture today is at the Mexican Senate, properly known as the Senate of the Republic, (Spanish: Senado de la República), which is the upper house of Mexico’s bicameral Congress. It is now made up of 128 senators, following a series of reforms in the 1990s.
Senators serve six-year terms, running concurrently with the President of Mexico. The Senate is completely renewed every six years, since senators are barred from immediate reelection. (Wikipedia: Senate of the Republic (Mexico))
the entrance to the Senate
Murals on the Senate walls
more murals in the Senate chambers
Our host is Senator Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo, Member of the Foreign Relations Committee (Relaciones Exteriores) and she gives a lecture about Federalism, Mexican Style.
She’s a member of the Berkeley’s – ITAM Forum for the Future of U.S. – Mexico relations and of the Center for Women Policy Studies Network of Parliamentarians “Globalpower Partnership of Women Elected Representatives”. Likewise, Senator Gonzalez frequently participates in the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA), which is the parliamentary network of the Organization of American States (OAS) membership.
She is also a distinguished Member of the International Affairs Council (COMEXI), a columnist for the State of Mexico’s newspaper Milenio and frequent Op-Ed writer of the La Nación magazine. (Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo: Biography)
Aaron and Senator Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo
Senator Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo in the Senate chambers
Senator Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo and Larry
After our lecture at the Senate, we depart for the American Chamber of Commerce (American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico) where Lucerna esq. Viena gives a lecture.
After this, we make a stop at the Museum of Anthropology. We are given the opportunity to visit the museum, if we want, and then have lunch in the cafeteria. I choose to take a walk through the city.
Once again, I walk by the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Mexico City, the oldest and largest Roman Catholic Cathedral in the Americas and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Mexico.
the Cathedral
This time, we go inside.
inside the Cathedral
inside the Cathedral
another mural
a square in the city
some kind of chamber somewhere??
outside the Cathedral
street scene in Mexico City
I buy this banner with the parrot
Early in the evening, we go to Bancomext to hear a lecture on Mexican Financial Policy by Miguel Siliseo, Chief Financial Officer of Bancomex.
The Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior (English: National Exterior Commerce Bank) or “Bancomext” is a Mexican state-owned bank and export credit agency created in 1937 to promote and finance small and medium exporting Mexican companies in international markets as well as providing consulting services for small and medium companies wishing to export their goods and/or services. (Wikipedia: Bancomext)
After the lecture, some of us go to dinner together to celebrate our last night in Mexico City.
??, Michael and Ryan at dinner
Our group at dinner: Larry, Jenn, Houcine, Brent, Aaron and me
We have a fantastic group on this Study Abroad trip. Many of us really enjoy each others’ company immensely. Some of the friendships I make on this trip are ones that last; I am still in touch with a number of people from this group to this day.
notes from north america 