Friday, January 14, 2011

New Consul For Mexican Consulate In Chicago Named After Multiple Community Protests To Oust Current Consul Arriaga Prevailed

Consul Eduardo Arnal Palomera

(Photo: Denver Mexican Consulate)

Mexican President Felipe Calderon named new consul to head troubled Chicago Consulate

By H. Nelson Goodson
January 14, 2011

Chicago, Illinois - On Friday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon finally confirmed that Eduardo Arnal Palomera, the current Consul in Denver, Colorado has been named to take over the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, according to sources at the Chicago Consulate. The Nuevo Siglo Newspaper in Chicago reported that Palomera was selected by Calderon several weeks ago and is expected to go before the Mexican Congress for approval. Palomera is an attorney and a former Mexican Congressman with the National Action Party (PAN). He been the Denver Consul since August 15, 2007, when he was approved by the Congress.
The Nuevo Siglo also reported, once approved, Palomera could be in Chicago within a month and will be replacing the current Consul Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga, according to Denver's Consulate Adscribed Consul José Luis Cuevas. President Calderon has named Arriaga as the new Mexican Embassador to Peru. Calderon did not provide information why Arriaga was being replaced, but news and information of numerous protests against Arriaga had reached Calderon.
The Chicago Mexican Consulate provides services to Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois Mexican nationals. The Consulate under Arriaga has been under protest for weeks and as far back to several years by numerous Mexican groups and organizations for not working and recognizing community groups.
In early August, the Mexican Civic Society of Illinois in Chicago (MCS) and organizations had protested in front of the Chicago Consulate for leaving the MCS out from participating in the official Bicentennial "El Grito" event. 
Before midnight on September 15, they even protested at the night of El Grito Bicentennial Mexican Independence at the Millenium Park in Chicago. The protesters boo and continued to boo Consul Arriaga during his presentation and even yelled "¡Fuera, fuera, fuera Consul Arriaga!" (Out, out, out Consul Arriaga!). The protesters displayed large signs denouncing Arriaga and calling for President Calderon to remove Arriaga from his post.
Protesters alleged, Consul Arriaga was practicing depotism at the Mexican Consulate, lacked transparency in the Grito event, lacked to provide legal representation or condemn publicaly the deportation of thousands of undocumented Mexican immigrants from Chicago and two other states, slow and inedaquate services to Mexican nationals seeking services at the Consulate.
It seems, the Mexican community finally got their wish and Consul Arraiga will soon be history. 

Related article: Second Protest At Mexican Consul In Chicago Over Bicentennial "El Grito" Ouster Of Mexican Civic Society http://bit.ly/9ESaRF

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