Denver's Mexican Consulate celebrating 130th year; nations' ties still growing

One hundred and thirty years ago, a group of business leaders in Denver wrote a letter to Mexico's President Porfirio Diaz, requesting the appointment of a Mexican Consul General in Denver.

These Coloradans wanted to be able to conduct business with Mexico more conveniently.

There are two dozen signatures on a letter postmarked May 1893.

Colorado mining, railroad and other industries frustrated at the delays and inconvenience of having to travel far to access consular services for Mexico.

Current Deputy Consul Federico Bass Villareal said, "Knowing of the potential of the relationship, the economic relationship between Colorado and Mexico - they wrote a letter to President Porfirio Diaz asking for a Consulate to be here in Denver so they wouldn't have to travel to Kansas City."

Casimiro Barela was appointed the first Consul General. Born in what was then Mexico, he became an American citizen when his birthplace became part of the US.

Barela had already served in the Territorial legislature and as a Colorado state senator. He was one of the authors of the Colorado state constitution.

"Fighting for the constitution to be published in English, Spanish and German speaks a lot of himself. He is also one of the longest serving state senators in the history of Colorado," added Bass Villareal.

"Por primera vez en Estados Unidos, estamos entregando esas tarjetas en el consulado," explained Mexico's Consul General for Denver Pavel Melendez Cruz.  This translates to, "For the first time in the US, we are giving out these cards at the Consulate."

Consul General Melendez Cruz addresses people who've come to the Consulate to process things like IDs, passports, and birth certificates.

Nowadays the Consulate's focus is serving a million Mexican nationals in the Rocky Mountain region.

"All Colorado and counties for the east Wyoming and east Montana almost around 100 counties in United States," said Melendez Cruz.

Denver's Consulate recently piloted a new service making it easy to transfer funds to Mexico.  The money sent home from workers abroad is the second largest source of foreign revenue for Mexico.

"Va a poder enviar el dinero en 30 segundos hacia Mexico," explained the Consul General, in 30 seconds – money sent from here will land on a loved ones' stored value card in Mexico.

Enabling the payment of bills, rent, utilities or school tuition back home. 

The Consulate also promotes worker rights with education on things like workplace safety and wage theft.

"It principally protects for the human rights for the Mexican community the nationals in the United States," said Melendez Cruz.

130 years in – the economic bonds between Colorado and Mexico are strong as ever.

Melendez Cruz added, "It's amazing state and Denver is also a friendly city."

Colorado's ties with Mexico have only grown over the past century.  Just this year, Mexico surpassed China as the United States' top trade partner.