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RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #6656/01 3330115
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290115Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4391
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 006656 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR MELLE AND EISSENSTAT 
STATE FOR A/S SHANNON 
STATE FOR INR/B 
STATE FOR WHA/MEX, WHA/EPSC, EB/ESC 
NSC FOR DAN FISK 
HHS FOR OGHA--STEIGER AND VALDEZ 
INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS--WASHBURN; FWS, NPS, AND 
NMFS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MX
SUBJECT: CALDERON NAMES POLITICAL CABINET 
 
REF: A. MEX 6604 
     ¶B. MEXICO 6571 
     ¶C. GUADALAJARA 0410 
     ¶D. GUADALAJARA 0482 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: President-elect Calderon announced his four 
political cabinet selections on November 28, bringing into 
his government one of his closest aides to run the presidency 
and naming a controversial Jalisco politician for Secretariat 
of the Interior. The appointments include: Francisco Ramirez 
Acuna as Secretary of the Interior; Patricia Espinosa 
Cantellano as Secretary of Foreign Relations; German Martinez 
Cazares as Secretary of Civil Service; and Juan Camilo 
Mourino as head of the Office of the Presidency. Biographies 
of each selection are below. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The announcement of security-related cabinet 
positions, including the secretaries of defense, navy, and 
public security, as well as the attorney general, is expected 
on Wednesday, November 29.  Calderon announced his social 
cabinet selections on November 24 (reftel A) and his economic 
cabinet selections on November 20 (reftel B).  End summary. 
 
 
Francisco Ramirez Acuna, Secretary of the Interior (SEGOB) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Calderon named Francisco Ramirez Acuna as Secretary 
of the Interior, stating that his responsibilities will focus 
on engaging all elements of Mexican society, promoting 
respect for human rights, and buttressing rule of law and 
effective democracy. Ramirez is clearly the most 
controversial pick among the political cabinet posts. He is 
most well known for his hardline governing style in Jalisco 
as the state's governor, including the alleged mistreatment, 
illegal detention and torture of protesters at a 2004 summit 
in Guadalajara for heads of state from Latin America, the 
Caribbean and the European Union (reftel C and D). While the 
Party for Democratic Revolution (PRD) and civil society 
actors will focus on his human rights record, the 
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has raised strong 
complaints about his role in the 2006 election of the next 
Jalisco Governor and PAN member Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, in 
which Ramirez reportedly used the state attorney general's 
office to launch accusations of fraud against the PRI 
candidate. Some political commentators have suggested that 
Calderon's pick of Ramirez indicates the will to bring 
situations such as the protracted crisis in Oaxaca under 
control. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ramirez's was elected to governor in 2001 and his 
term officially ends March 1, 2007. From 1998 to 2000 he 
served as mayor of Guadalajara, and from 1995 to 1997 he led 
the Office of Transportation for the state capital. He has 
served in several elected posts as well as party positions, 
including Municipal President of Zapopan, Jalisco, from 1983 
to 1985; Secretary General of PAN State Committee in Jalisco 
in 1982; state representative in the Jalisco congress from 
1980 to 1983 and 1974 to 1977. Born 22 April, 1952, in Jamay, 
Jalisco, Mr. Ramirez received a B.A. in law from the 
University of Guadalajara. 
 
 
Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Secretary of Foreign Relations 
(SRE) 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The selection of Patricia Espinosa Cantellano was 
not a widely expected choice for Secretary of Foreign 
Relations, though she brings strong multilateral experience 
in the SRE and is so far the fourth woman named to the 
cabinet. Calderon said that she should particularly seek to 
defend the rights of Mexicans abroad and guide foreign policy 
towards economic and social development for Mexico. 
 
¶6. (SBU) A career member of the foreign service for more than 
 
MEXICO 00006656  002 OF 002 
 
 
25 years, Espinosa was named Ambassador to Austria in June 
¶2002. She previously had served as Ambassador to Germany from 
March 2001. She has served at the Permanent Missions to the 
UN in Geneva, Vienna and New York as well as at the SRE in 
several capacities in the area of multilateral affairs. 
Calderon praised her for her considerable experience in the 
areas of international cooperation, especially in regard to 
international crime; promotion of Mexican interests among 
economic, commercial and technology issues; the promotion of 
Mexican culture; and the protection of human rights. Born 
October 21, 1958, in Mexico City, Espinosa received a B.A. in 
international relations at El Colegio de Mexico, studied 
international law at the Graduate Institute of International 
Studies in Geneva, and received a doctorate in economics at 
Oxford University. 
 
 
German Martinez Cazares, Secretary of Civil Service 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) In naming German Martinez Cazares to head the 
Secretariat of the Civil Service, Calderon has recruited a 
 
SIPDIS 
long time party official. Calderon stressed that the 
position's priorities will be to fight corruption in 
government, advance transparency, and professionalize public 
services. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Martinez was most recently the PAN representative to 
the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE). He was a federal 
representative in the lower chamber of congress from 2003 to 
2006, where he was the deputy coordinator of the PAN. Prior 
to his term in congress, he coordinated the development of 
the PAN legislative platform for the 2003-2006 session, while 
he served the general director for two foundations. In 2000, 
Mr. Martinez was a member of the Presidential Committee for 
the Fox presidential campaign as well as the representative 
in IFE for PAN and the Alliance for Change Coalition. He has 
served in several other positions within the PAN over many 
years. Born June 20, 1967, in Morelia, Michoacan, Martinez 
received a B.A. in law from the Universidad La Salle in 
Mexico City, studied constitutional law and political science 
at the Centro de Estudios Politicos y Constitucionales in 
Madrid, and he received a doctorate in Constitutional Law at 
the Complutense University in Madrid. 
 
 
Juan Camilo Mourino: Head, Office of the Presidency 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Juan Camilo Mourino, appointed by Calderon to run 
the Office of the Presidency, is one of the president-elect's 
closest aides. Camilo served as coordinator of Calderon's 
primary and general election campaign and then was named 
coordinator of the transition team. He will likely be the 
youngest of Calderon's cabinet. Due to Mexican law, Mourino 
cannot serve as a secretary due to his being born outside the 
country. 
 
¶10. (SBU)  Camilo was appointed Undersecretary for Energy by 
Calderon when he was Secretary. Mr. Camilo was elected in 
2000 as a representative at the federal level in the lower 
chamber of congress, where he served as the president of the 
Energy Commission. He was an active member of the Friends of 
Fox network. He previously served as a local state 
representative in Campeche and as a businessman in the energy 
sector. Born in 1971 in Madrid, Mr. Camilo became a 
naturalized Mexican citizen when he was 18 years old. He 
received a B.A. in economics from the University of Tampa. 
His family is the owner of Grupo Energetica del Sureste, an 
energy concern. 
 
 
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GARZA