That’s when Marina del Pilar Ávila, the governor of Baja California and a member of the Morena party in power, dropped the regional bombshell. She further disclosed that she and her husband, Carlos Torres, had their tourist visas canceled by the United States. This great news came just as the couple were being informed of the consular step on the Sunday before. Thrilled by the news, Ávila immediately retweeted it out to all his social media followers.
The reason behind this dog-whistle decision by the Trump administration is anyone’s guess. The governor has offered no explanation on the events that prompted their tourist visas to be pulled. Carlos Torres confirmed the revocation and emphasized that it “does not represent an accusation, investigation, or formal indictment by any authority, neither in Mexico nor in the United States.”
Last Thursday, Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Tijuana held a meeting with Christopher Teal, the new US Consul General in that border city. While on their visit, they tackled several regional bilateral concerns ranging from security, economic growth, to human rights. This conversation illustrates the robust ties between Baja California and the United States. Baja California, which borders the US state of California, has the highest yearly number of non-vehicular crossings of any Mexican state with a land border with the US.
“I fully trust that the situation will be satisfactorily clarified for both of us,” stated Ávila, expressing her confidence in resolving the matter. Nevertheless, the governor is still hopeful with regard to her US counterparties. Despite the recent visa kerfuffle, she continues to fervently hope that it will remain all-comprehensive and cooperative.
Like many US-Mexico border states, Baja California is a critical player in the US-Mexico cross-border landscape given its geographic nearness to the United States. Local residents rely on easy movement for economic and social connections over the border. Consequently, any modulations of visa policies are certainly closely monitored by both national and world-wide audiences.
