S6 Ep.9 - Roberto Vazquez, Mexican Consul, Detroit

0:00Welcome to the Michigan Opportunity, an economic development discussion series featuring candid conversations with business leaders and innovators across Michigan. You'll hear first-hand accounts on how the state is driving job growth in business investment, supporting a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, building vibrant communities, and helping to attract and retain one of the most diverse and talented workforces in the nation. And now your host Ed Clemente. Hello and welcome to the show. We're fortunate to have a guest we haven't had on a long time. Roberto Nicholas Vesquez, he's the Council of Mexico here in Detroit and Roberto, thanks a lot for doing this today. Thank you. Thank you Ed. Thank you for having me. I'm really happy to be here. Well, I'm fortunate that I get to see you at a lot of other events too. So I really enjoy meeting you and being friends with you too. So I think you and your wife, I've met your wife more and she's the big runner, isn't she? Like a runner? Yes, yes,

1:00yes, he's runner. She runs marathons. And you have two kids too, right? I have two. I have two kids, yes. Are they here? Are they down in Mexico? No, they are here. They are here. In Detroit. Okay, good. Oh, yes. Yeah, it's wonderful. So why don't we talk a little bit about most Americans, probably are not familiar. Like most people barely know there's an ambassador usually from a country, you know, but the the councils are very a different role, but they still have a unique niche. So why don't you kind of talk about a little bit about what the role is and what you do? Yes, well, the consulates of Mexico are are here in the United States. We have 53 consulates. We have established with a full concept of the United States in accordance with the Piana Convention of 1963 and the bilateral convention of consular relations with the United States. And so we we these consular networks supports works of the

2:04Mexican community living in the United States, providing passports, civil registry services, not to reacts for for any goods that they have in Mexico. And it's a it this network is here to meet the needs of the Mexican National's work in the United States and helping that fulfill their necessities that they have with Mexico. We have a lot of work here as well getting into relations with local authorities. We work very close with federal state and local authorities. And we we do all these duties with the help of the United States Department of State. So we we provide also a lot of a lot of services for the Mexican community in the lives here. So they know

3:09how the system of the United States works in health systems in educational system and all the all this other stuff. Any guidance that they need. We work we work for that. And one thing that we do not do is getting into politics. The the consulates we strictly go through consular consular services and consular relations. And you have a ambassador that really does more of that more in Washington DC, right? Is that where that person? Yes, the ambassador of them, the embassy in Washington, it's the one that goes with the political relationship with the United States. The state-to-state relationship, the embassy is the one. And in terms of relationship with local authorities with businesses, that's the consulate that that we see in the local areas. And you yourself, this isn't your first posting in the US, right?

4:14weren't you in Orlando? Yes, previously it was posted in Orlando. And before that, I was posted in Dallas. So tell us. Oh, okay. Yes. I have experience being here in the United States. Yes. However, your kids when you were in Orlando. Oh, they were they were smell kids. They were they were five five on seven and they really loved being there. They got a Disney World Universal. They got the chance to be there. Yes. Oh, wonderful. Yes. I must have been a good post thinking the weather's a little bad as cold. Yes, yes, it was a good post for the family for sure. They really like it. Have you ever this is off the record? But have you heard of Gatorland where the alligators are? Alligators? Have you been there too? No, I didn't got the chance to visit the the Gatorland. But I know there's this park park in there that has a little gators. That's actually my favorite thing in Orlando. I've been there quite a few times. Really? Well, I mean, I love nature. And it's just amazing how big

5:17these those elevators are. But anyway, it's a fun spot. So for example, why don't you know, now that we're talking a little bit about international things, but just for to have like multiple consulate, could you said 53 or is it just one for Florida? Like the different states have like you said 53. So not every state probably has one though. No, no. For example, we are where the community, the Mexican community needs us. So we have more in Texas and in the in California. For example, in Texas, we have 11 consulates in California. We have nine in here in Midwest. We have obviously the biggest one is Chicago. We have one in Indiana and Milwaukee here in Detroit. So we are we cover all this area, this consulates in the Midwest. For example, in the consulate of Mexico, Detroit covers

6:22most of Michigan and 33 counties of the north part of Ohio. So this, this consulate also works with Ohio authorities as well. And I would imagine that's pretty valuable because of the automotive industry because I know a lot of Ohio has a lot of tier one, tier two and OEMs down there too, right? Oh, yes, yes. We have we have a lot of relationship with Ohio. For example, Mexico has a lot of trade with Ohio. We have a consistently growing relationship with them. For example, with Ohio, trade with Mexico that we have is bigger than the whole United States trade with Peru. Oh, wow. And that is 20.1 billion dollars of trade with between Mexico and Ohio. It's huge as well. It's not as big as with Michigan,

7:29with Michigan, the trade we have annually is close to the 90 billion dollars annually with Michigan. Oh, wow. That is huge. That is even larger is even more than the cold United States trade with Brazil, for example. So it is it is it is a huge relationship. It is Michigan is a third trade partner after after Texas and after California. So it is it is really important for us the relationship with Michigan and actually the trade with with Michigan has been increasing. Last last day that we have is in 2024. The overall growth exports from Michigan to Mexico grew 15% in one. Oh, wow. And this this trade it's a lot of for example, the one that lead the most is the finished and coded textile fabrics. It jumped 145%.

8:37And the medical equipment it jumped 92%. The bakery and tortilla products from Michigan to Mexico jumped 128%. And the communication equipment jumped 60%. Just in 2024. And and this this trade is covers around 39% of the whole trade of Michigan with the world, does it with Mexico. So that is that is with the importance of Mexico partnership with with Michigan. Yeah, and it also shows you like any healthy country. You don't want to be like a mono sort of economy, you know, where you're just oil or you're just just maybe limited manufacturer or just agriculture or something. I think both Mexico and the United States have huge and I think Mexico has been growing more of a variety of different kind of products they make and ship and import and all that, right. Of course, of course. And

9:40we what we what we said is that for Mexico for the United States, Mexico is one of the most significant trading partners more than any of the country. More than even that China and or neighbors in Canada, Mexico buys 16% of the total UX exports while China buys 7%. Mexico supplies 15.5% of UX imports compared to 13.5% from China. Overall, Mexico accounts for nearly 16% of all US international trade while China represents 11%. So Mexico is a really important partner and it's very different. But that is not only about numbers, it's how it how Mexico trades with the United States. That it's really different. Mexico and exports to the United States, for example, content 10 times more US value added that the Chinese exports on average 40% of what

10:47Mexico exports to the United States is US made when Mexico exports US exports as well. United States exports as well. So that is really important and what is the that is one key difference. This is not outsourcing. This is not competition. This is what we call is a co-production or economists compliment each other. We are partners in this. This is core of our relationship with deeply integrated value chains. We build this over decades and it's extremely difficult to replicate any other part of the world. I think this is why this relationship must be taken care of and it has to prevail into the future and working together. We know we have really good relationship with the United States. I was mentioning before that the relationship with

11:48Mexico, United States and Mexico currently it's a really good one. I was mentioning that our president President Trump and President Shambal have talked already 12 times by Wow in this one year that the current Trump administration. So they have talked at least once a month. The conversations and the interaction between our countries has continued at the highest level. I will continue to work for the benefit of both of us of the United States and Mexico. I think you're listening to the Michigan opportunity featuring candid conversations with Michigan business leaders and innovators on what makes Michigan a leading state to live, work and play. Listen to more episodes at michiganbusiness.org forward slash podcast or download the Michigan opportunity through your preferred podcast platform. Hello and welcome back. We're fortunate

12:51again to have Roberto Nicholas Vesquez is the council of Mexico here in Detroit. He's been given us some really interesting facts. You know another thing I don't think Americans always understand too is that Mexico is a young country too. I mean your demographics are going to be a growing middle class for the near future too. So that relationship might even get bigger for both of us right in the near future. Yes and the current government in Mexico is doing really good efforts to diminish the poverty in Mexico. So the middle class is growing in Mexico. Mexico is becoming a more reliable partner and more reliable market for the US and for products doing in North America. So I think we have a lot of a lot of things that we have to consider into the future for the benefit of both countries. Yeah and this is like I didn't ask you this ahead of time but you you also worked in Mexico City. You were born in Nadeca Poco. Was that

13:59yes. Oh was that Poco? Okay. I couldn't remember. And is that where your wife is from too? Or did you meet somebody? No my wife is from Mexico City. So you guys met when you were living there right? Yes yes. So did you ever meet the president? Shank bomb? We had the opportunity to be with her this January in in in her offices and the national palace in Mexico. We have a meeting with all the ambassadors and consuls and see explain her point of view of what she wants to do with the country and to convey the messages of her government. So yes I have been with her and I think she's a wonderful leader and she's taking taking Mexico to the next level. Well I know she did a nice job when she was the mayor too of Mexico City which is at one point I don't know if it is today but it was the biggest city in the world at one point and I don't

15:04know if it's still I don't think it is anymore. I think Tokyo or somebody else is bigger now. But but it's a big city and she did a great job because I mean I've been to Mexico City a couple of different times and it's just one of the in fact you guys are even having problems because I think a lot of Americans are moving there and they were like young people like like and they were yeah I remember reading an article about it once that so many Americans were moving down there but young people because there's some really nice sections they wanted to live it down there. Yes and she was she was first mayor after that she was a mayor of a small city between the huge Mexico City then she was the mayor of the big city and and currently as president she has that feeling what the people need so she has that feeling this close to the people and what

16:04they need and she has instructed us to in the consulate to convey that message as well with the people being close to the people be attentive at what they what they need and how the government of Mexico can help and here particularly particularly in Michigan the need is is the everything associated with the automotive industry I I mentioned the the new big jumps in trade with Michigan but the big chunk of this 90 billion dollars is the automotive industry it's the things that we trade with with Michigan in motor vehicles motor motor vehicle parts electrical equipment and components as well that is something that Michigan imports from Mexico and that as well

17:06something that Michigan exports to Mexico like motor vehicle parts electrical components plastic products and resins and any other new products that I mentioned before so this this trade is something that we have to be very close and very attentive to health to the to the people that trade with Mexico for example as well we have a really huge investments of Mexico here in Michigan for example the trade with this trade with Mexico has brought companies like Seymakes, Alpha, Metalsa, Tremeg, Racini who had huge operations here and they have plans and they also have a really good interaction with the communities where they are there this this is part of the

18:09trade that we have with Mexico and this trade supports over 136,000 jobs in Michigan so I think this is really important and that we are close to these companies to be successful as well yeah in fact my cousin used to work a lot when he was working for I think it was Magga it's Magga it's the Canadian automotive tier one company but I think he was down in down in Hermesillo a lot is that yeah isn't that like a lot of automotive companies in that area too or no yes and we have we have in in the Mosilla we have huge center of automotive companies in Tihuahua in Guanajuato we have all around Mexico a lot of companies that they have their head North American headquarters here in Michigan and they have

19:13operations in Mexico as well so these companies as well have our part of this trade that we have yeah and a mutual friend of ours Deanna Piaz who's been on the podcast she does a lot with Mexico along with a lot of other countries but she's from Mexico herself originally and I think you work with her quite a bit on electrification kind of things right yes and she has done a wonderful job with Tihuahua in helping them to map some really good plan for the electricity certification in in Tihuahua Tihuahua city and in Tihuahua state so they have really good opportunities they are exploring them and they are growing so that is really important yeah she and she's with she's housed at the University of Michigan but she's is with the Davidson institute I think yes yeah okay yes and you know and another thing too I want to mention

20:20maybe some more fun things a little bit but you know growing up where I've grown up I grew up kind of in southwest Detroit you know when our family first moved to the country kind of and so we're familiar too with the strong you know there's always been in Michigan like we came over from Italy right but the people from Mexico were here way before the Italians were because they've been here a long time and it's still a pretty strong community in this area is that like a lot of the work you do with them yes that community the Mexican community here arrived in 1920s the first migration that came here came to work in the in the bead fields oh yeah yeah and remember the bead it was used for making sugar and and and a lot of people came here for that then there was the opportunity to get employed in the in the railroads the railroads that were doing from Detroit

21:26to to Grand Rapids and to Canada so a lot of people came as well after that and the people that that stayed so opportunities in the automotive industry so the consular of Mexico had to follow this this huge community and around 1920 1925 1920 the consulate open here in Detroit so this consulate is one of the oldest consulate of Mexico in the United States it has more than a hundred a hundred and five years presence here in Michigan so we have we have a lot and in these in these years we have a build a really strong relationship with Michigan and that that is that is something that we can see today with the numbers yeah and and in fact obviously

22:26the and many people know this like but you know with Diego Rivera you know living here to do those paintings I mean I mean we brought in his name was it was it sands but he was head of the national parks and he was Hispanic too and he was US national parks but he came and he saw that mural and that was the one thing he wanted to see in Detroit more than anything and it's it's a really rich history and I've been to the murals in the what is it that's just so so she milked but what is the big square where it's at your US power the where the main government is in Mexico city there's a bunch of Diego Rivera murals there too I've seen them both there are two there are two beautiful buildings in Mexico that have Diego Rivera frescoes one is the national palace in central Mexico and the other is the headquarters of our secretary of education those those frescoes there are

23:29amazing as well and and the work that Diego Rivera made here is also really good the the work that the the Chinese theater of arts has done in in ways of conservation has been amazing and it's really incredible come and see the work of Diego Rivera and the Detroit theater of arts and it's part of the work of a Mexican artist is part of the cultural heritage of Detroit and Michigan as a whole that's beautiful well and and top of it like it's hard to go through any part of like Southwest Detroit without seeing a picture of his wife uh really Caleb right yes yeah every a color is it's an icon oh oh of the arts and it has been amazing yeah um and I mean in fact I was with you when they did the Michigan Historical

24:31Marker for the Deano music uh right there in the Plaza right there in Southwest Detroit with the Ray Luzano yeah and uh yeah what a that was a nice event that was um you know my my in fact it's funny I my my brother-in-law was uh Maximilian Garcia but but like he used to go listen to the piano music all the time when you know even from down river there were quite a few bars there you know with this with these vibrant community here uh that came um first for the beat for the beat camps in uh the railroad then the automotive industry uh they were people that uh they had certain needs of entertainment so the the Tejano saw the opportunity to bring their music here and they were extremely successful there a lot of people here uh joined them not only listened to them so the a lot of musicians uh Detroit has a lot of rich cultural musicians uh

25:34also came from here to the Tejano music and it was amazing the Tejano uh work and uh the Tejano heritage that they lived here in Michigan also it's very significant yeah I recommend to anybody who hasn't done this but inside where the Secretary of State's offices and that building is a really beautiful mural in there too that shows a lot of the performers actually from Tejano music and some famous artist I believe from Mexico as well but also from this area but it's a nice little mural inside the building that was done more recently actually it's pretty new and uh i've met quite a few of the muralists that still paint in the area actually because if you go through southwest Detroit there's probably a hundred murals you could just do a walking tour just to look at all the nice modern you know paint yes yeah one of the new muralist is as well from Mexican heritage uh Elton Mondroi is the one who painted uh that mural that you just mentioned uh oh

26:36really okay yeah and it's and it's beautiful and it has a lot of murals around mexican town uh he has been designated with the kresky uh award uh the kresky foundation award and it's amazing an amazing guy so if you have the opportunity to look at the murals of Elton Mondroi you will you will have a great time yeah no i i've just really been fortunate like i said and of course i love the food um which is goes without saying uh but um i had a we're getting near the end but i just wanted to make sure i plugged how much i liked Mexico in my life too i mean of all the country that i've been to i've been there more than i've been to canada almost i think and but i just really i'm kind of a nut for pre-Columbian you know so i i think i told you last time we're on there but uh i think i've been to like 50 or 45 different uh Mayan and uh Aztec and

27:39Totec and Olmex sites all throughout uh Mexico it's such it's got the richest heritage really in the even before the you know the european showed up it was it's an old community i mean i don't think people realize how like it's 2,000 years old you know a lot of it i think right right right yeah and it's just so nice i just i think it's anyone who doesn't go down and look at all the different Mayan runes is crazy they have come to Mexico yeah and i know it's very popular i think that's uh anywhere learn your content like here yeah well yeah and anywhere in the ukitan almost you know i'm sure americans are probably the number one tourist most of the time but yes it's just a beautiful area um anything else you want to cover before we let you go well yeah i want to convey a final message that in a fragmented uncertain and increasingly competitive global economy the ux-mexico-economic relationship is not a vulnerability it is an strategic advantage

28:43mexico is leveraged for the united states not a burden uh one that already exists one that already works and one word protecting deepening and projecting into the future mexico is part of the solution not the problem yeah let's uh look forward to a long relationship a fruitful prosperous relationship for both countries that way all right well thanks again Roberto Nicholas Vesclas is the council of mexico here in Detroit and a nice guy and i appreciate you doing this today thanks thank you thank you Ed thank you for having me the michigan opportunity is brought to you by the michigan economic development corporation whether you're looking for small business resources exploring an expansion or relocation or seeking a world class workforce visit michiganbusiness.org to learn how you can make it in michigan you