National Latino Congreso to President Obama: Support for Bill Richardson Secretary of State

National Latino Congreso

November 10, 2008

The Honorable Barack Obama
President-Elect
United States of America
Presidential Transition Offices

Dear President-Elect Obama:

The undersigned leaders of the National Latino Congreso congratulate you on your historic election as President of the United States. Your message of national unity and change inspired Latinos to support you by a more than two to one margin. Latinos overwhelmingly support your commitments to enact urgent measures to reactivate the economy, promptly end the Iraq War, and expand health care access.

The National Latino Congreso is comprised of thousands of Latino local, state, and federal organizations and elected officials that gather annually to develop policy and electoral strategies that advance local, state, and federal policies that benefit Latinos in the United States. This year the NLC leaders worked together to mobilize some 130,000 Latino voters 14 states across America and worked diligently to protect the vote.

We express our unequivocal support for the Honorable Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, as your choice for Secretary of State.

Governor Richardson has distinguished himself across the public, private and civil sectors, across issues and across party lines. He has served America previously as a U.S. Representative, Energy Secretary and Ambassador to the UN.

However, he is most notable for his reputation in the area of foreign relations. He is internationally respected as an astute leader, negotiator, and representative of the United States interests.  His leadership and vision are critical in this juncture in history.

Richardson enjoys deep relationships across the globe with a broad-spectrum of foreign leaders. Richardson has been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize. His initiatives have included:

-helping free American servicemen, aid workers, journalists, and other hostages being held captive in North Korea, Iraq, Sudan, and Cuba;
- brokering an agreement for peace talks between the Taliban regime and opposing factions in Afghanistan and secured safe passage for 7000 Tajikistan refugees trapped in the northern part of the country;
- negotiating a peaceful transfer of power in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
- brokering a cease-fire in the troubled region of Darfur in the Sudan in 2007;
- meeting with the Presidents of Colombia and Venezuela in an effort to free Americans held hostage by the Colombian FARC guerillas in early 2008.

Governor Richardson is the kind of Secretary of State needed by your administration at this critical juncture in which America seeks to restore its tarnished image abroad. Committed to diplomacy, known and respected on every continent, Richardson will work tirelessly to realize your vision for an America that leads first (and foremost) through the power of its ideals.

We respectfully urge you to nominate Governor Richardson for the position of Secretary of State.

Most Sincerely,
Lillian Rodriguez Lopez
President
Hispanic Federation

Rosa Rosales
President
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

John Trasviña
President & General Counsel
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)

Nativo Lopez
President
Mexican America Political Association (MAPA) &Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana

Angela Sanbrano
President 
National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC)

Pablo Alvarado
President
National Day Labor Organizing Network

Roger Rivera
President
National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC)

Lydia Camarillo
Vice President
Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP)

Antonio González
President 
William C. Velásquez Institute (WCVI) & Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP)

(the signatories to this letter are from endorsers of the National Latino Congress)

A Day Without a Mexican
Anahuak Youth Sports Association
The Honorable Victoria Baca, Trustee, Moreno Valley Unified School District
The Honorable Jennifer Baker, Trustee, Natomas Unified School District
Centro Obrero de Detroit 
Centroamericanos Por Obama
Chicano Consortium de Sacramento
The City Project
COHECA  (CONGRESO DE HERMANDAD CENTROAMERICANA)
Comunidad Salvadorena La Placita
Comunidades Por La Democracia Participativa en El Salvador
Congress of California Seniors
Environmental Designer Guild
The Honorable Juan Carlos Escamilla, City of San Luis, Arizona
Federacion Poblana
Commissioner Evelina Fernandez, Human Relations Commission, City of Los Angeles
Fontana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Frente Unido Para la Nueva Esperanza -El Salvador (F.U.N.E.S. – USA)
HealthChoices of California Insurance Services
La Raza Network
Latino Journal
Latinos for America
Latinos For Peace
Lujan and Associates
LULAC Council 1148
LULAC District IV
LULAC New Mexico
Mundo Maya Foundation, Inc.
Patrick Henry Democratic Club of Orange County, California
Red Nation Celebration
Respect Respeto
The Honorable Phil Reyes, Mayor, City of Duarte, California
The Honorable Rebecca Rios, State Senator, Arizona
SALEF (Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund)
The Honorable Paul Solano, Vice President, Bassett Unified School District
Urban Semillas
Watts/Century Latino Organization

CC:     Honorable Rahm Emanuel 
          Mr. John Podesta
          Mr. Peter Rouse
          Mr. Frank Sanche

Download the letter to President Obama here.