Consulate honored by law students

The UNM Mexican American Law Students Association honored the Mexican Consulate for protecting the human and legal rights of Mexicans living abroad at its sixth annual Fighting for Justice Banquet Saturday.

Juan Flores introduced the award recipients at the banquet at the Old Town Sheraton. He said Consul Jaime Paz y Puente and his staff worked with the state Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this year and negotiated the right of Mexican nationals to obtain a New Mexico driver’s license and insurance.

“As a driver on New Mexico’s highways, that’s a good thing,” Flores said.

Flores said the consulate also worked to establish the National Hispanic Cultural Center through the state Office of Cultural Affairs.

“The Mexican Consulate recognizes, I believe, that we’ve got to start working on tomorrow’s problems today,” Flores said. “Peace begins with the mutual respect of one another’s rights. That has been the spirit of the work done by the consulate. Fighting for justice does create conflict, but fighting for justice with diplomacy is necessary.”

The Honorable Cruz Reynoso, who was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor, served as the keynote speaker of the evening.

Reynoso said many U.S. officials are violating the rights of Mexicans—particularly Mexicans who are arrested in the United States. He said they are often denied the right to meet with the consulate.

“So often in this world, good people do evil things, and so often unknowingly,” Reynoso said. “To end up with some element of justice, you’ve got to confront it. You’ve got to stand up and if it causes conflict, you’ve got to face it because that is how you end up with peace.”

Reynoso said the Mexican Consulate deserved the award because it works to ensure that the practices of the United States get closer to its own high ideals.

Paz y Puente recognized his staff and others for making his job an enjoyable one.

“I want to thank the Mexican community because they help us to enjoy our work by the gratitude on their faces when we do something to help them,” Paz y Puente said. “You never expect that your daily duties will be recognized like this, especially when it is one’s birthday — today is my birthday.”

Though Paz y Puente is celebrating a new year in his life, he has received re-assignment papers and said he will be leaving his position with the Mexican Consulate this year.

Joseph Sapien, MALSA’s president for the 2001-2002 school year, said he was pleased with the turnout of this year’s banquet.

“Every year the MALSA banquet gets bigger and bigger,” Sapien said. “We seem to keep raising the bar.”