Mexico Senate confirms North America diplomat Velasco as foreign minister

By Raul Cortes

MEXICO CITY, April 8 (Reuters) - Mexico's Senate confirmed Roberto Velasco, the current undersecretary for North America, to be the new foreign ministry, assuming the role at a pivotal moment for regional trade.

President Claudia Sheinbaum tapped Velasco last week after former Foreign Minister Juan Ramon ​de la Fuente announced he would leave the position for health reasons.

Velasco has managed diplomatic relations with the United States and Canada since June 2020, serving ​first as the head of the North ​American unit ⁠before becoming undersecretary.

The ⁠leadership change comes as the three member nations of the USMCA — Mexico, the ​United States, and Canada — are conducting a joint review of the trade pact this year.