Los Cabos Basks in G20 Spotlight. Los Cabos Magazine Issue #30 Fall 2012.
Political heavyweights descend on Baja, and the reviews are glowing
The world looked on as the planet’s most important political leaders descended on Los Cabos this June for the 2012 Group of 20 Nations (or G20) Summit. The two-day meeting, held June 18 and June 19, is considered the premier forum for international cooperation on financial and economical cooperation. It brought together the heads of state of some 19 countries plus the European Union.
The objectives were to achieve global economic stability and sustainable growth, create international financial architecture, and promote regulations in an effort to avoid future financial crises. The European debt and political crises, as expected, dominated the talks. While political and fiscal analysts have proffered mixed reviews of the summit’s ability to meet those objectives, the importance of its being held in México and the host country’s hospitality and plush setting have been overwhelmingly recognized and praised.
In a statement at the close of the G20 Summit—reiterated on his official Facebook page—México’s President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa said in Spanish, “For México, it has been an honor to host the G20 Summit. It is the most important international gathering of leaders that our country has organized in its history.” He went on to thank the dignitaries, international organizations, and civilians who made the event a success. That Los Cabos was selected as the location for the G20 Summit and México the host country demonstrates—as reporter Sara Miller Llana wrote in The Christian Science Monitor—México’s increasing role as a world leader and shedding of its “image as the ‘Greece of the ‘80s and ‘90s,’ when it suffered excruciating debt and monetary crises.” México, unlike many European nations, is now enjoying enviable economic stability. The article in The Christian Science Monitor quoted David Mena Alemán, a professor of international affairs at México City’s Iberoamericana University: “A lot of countries are belly up and we are not. We have ideas about how to face these things.” He went on: “In other conditions there are things that would have detracted from any prestige or recognition of the Mexican government – why there are so many poor, why we are sending so many people to U.S., and all the drug trafficking – but there is a mega crisis out there, and [countries] are willing to listen to how we dealt with it and how we are dealing with it.”
This was the first time the summit had been held in Latin America. And the G20 Summit cast a welcome spotlight on a nation and travel destination that had nothing to do with the reports of drug violence that have plagued the nation in recent years. It was, instead, a boost of confidence for the rebounding country. For an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, Eric Martin and Nacha Cattan wrote, “Businessmen and politicians at the gathering have heaped praise on his administration for its role on everything from attracting foreign manufacturers who helped boost exports to a record to expanding health care coverage.”
Some reporters assigned to cover the summit found the Los Cabos plush setting a huge distraction. Rich Johnson, a senior national correspondent for Fox News Radio, wrote an entire post on the subject. “There are some two dozen resorts in Los Cabos, most of them American-friendly, family-friendly all inclusive facilities. One daily price gets you a room, every meal, every drink (including alcohol) and access to the beach, the pools, the exercise rooms and more,” he gushed before confessing: “This is great if you’re on vacation. This is not so great if you’re trying to pay attention to every subtle nuance uttered by the President, his people and the other world leaders.” The post also reveals the tourist destination’s allure for news-savvy journalists. NBC’s Chuck Todd was caught napping; he’d brought his high-energy children along for a family vacation. “Unlike many of the very nice places we get to visit, Los Cabos might be worth my own money some day,” Johnson wrote, before adding “Thanks to its location, Los Cabos has not been touched by the violence that has plagued so many other parts of Mexico. Tourism is THE business, and security is a big part of maintaining that business.”
The United Kingdom’s Daily Beast even wrote of a kerfuffle between broadcasters and “Downing Street spin doctors” who reportedly forced broadcasters to interview Prime Minister David Cameron in front of a staged, logoed backdrop. Cameron’s aides, it’s said, were concerned the summit’s venue was too beautiful, too fancy for a meeting dealing with the austerity in Europe.
President Barack Obama also had praise for the outgoing Mexican leader: “I would like to begin by saying how much I value Felipe’s friendship and the progress we have made together over the last several years,” he said in his closing address. “The deep ties between our countries will only grow stronger in the years to come.”
Los Cabos Mayor Unveils New Foreign Residents Office
On January 23 of this year, Los Cabos Mayor José Antonio Agúndez inaugurated an ambitious new program known as the Unidad de Atención a Residentes Extranjeros, or the Foreign Residents Office. Headquartered in San José del Cabo’s City Hall, the new office is tasked with integrating the area’s sizable contingent of foreign-born residents into the local community, which includes Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the corridor that connects them.
“We want all local residents—whether or not they were born here—to feel as if they [have] a voice in this community,” says Alicia Cota Rojas, director of the Foreign Residents Office. “We want everyone to be involved, not only in trying to strengthen Los Cabos but also in helping to promote the beauty of our area to others who might want to visit or to live here.”
There are more than 15,000 registered foreign-born residents in Los Cabos, as well as countless others who leave México at least once every six months in order to use visas and not have to go through the process to establish residency. The vast majority of these foreign residents hail from the United States and Canada.
Obviously, one of the main difficulties when wanting to integrate U.S.- and Canadian-born residents is the language barrier that often impedes open communication with the Spanish-speaking populace.
The Foreign Residents Office staff is multilingual; they’re fluent in English, Spanish, French, and German. One of their primary goals is to help foreign residents untangle bureaucratic issues, which can be exacerbated by language differences, and to provide information and assistance for those who are unsure about how to proceed with various kinds of paperwork and government services.
They are also available to help with referrals—such as doctors, dentists, and other professional services—as well as complaints. It is important to clarify, though, that the office is not tasked with resolving complaint issues but rather with referring people through the proper channels. The Ministerio Público, which is located in the Puerto Paraiso shopping center in Cabo San Lucas, is the office through which foreign residents should lodge their complaints.
So, what is the Foreign Residents Office specifically tasked with? There are three areas of particular focus: government services, programs and projects, and events. In terms of government services, Cota Rojas and her staff will provide information and direction regarding such things as business licenses, driver’s licenses, FM2s and FM3s, property taxes, and other potentially problematic paperwork issues for those with little understanding of the Spanish language.
And, although the office cannot finalize the paperwork, they are available to help with every step of the process.
Programs and projects refer to things such as Spanish lessons and other fruitful avenues for those wishing to make their homes in Los Cabos. The Foreign Residents Office is still relatively new, and it is expected that new programs will continue to be rolled out over the course of the next calendar year. At present, Spanish lessons are the main priority; the easiest way to integrate foreign-born citizens is to teach them the local language. Other programs are expected to vary month by month, but updated information can always be found by calling the office or visiting the government’s website.
The events calendar is the third area of focus, and it is an important tool in providing foreign residents with information on all the latest cultural happenings and festivals. It is one thing to help English-speaking citizens thread their way through the bureaucratic minefield of forms they cannot understand, but quite another to introduce them to many of their new neighbors, particularly those they were unlikely to meet otherwise. This, more than any other aspect of the Foreign Residents Office mandate, may be the most essential to promoting an integrated community.
“Events and festivals are as important as anything,” Cota Rojas says. “We want everyone to interact together, and get to know each other. This is how we will ultimately become one.”
For more information, visit the Foreign Residents Office at San José del Cabo’s City Hall. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may also call (624) 146-7610, e-mail frloscabos@gmail.com, visit www.loscabos.gob.mx, or go to Foreign Residents Cabo on Facebook, where events and available programs are updated on a regular basis.