La Opinion/Jose Luis Sierra/[[January 29, 2003]]/ link

LAS VEGAS -- Some 60 representatives of various Mexican organizations from throughout the United States met Saturday with an ambitious agenda: Create a united front through a coalition named Organization of Mexicans Abroad (OME, abbreviation in Spanish) which would represent the interests of Mexican immigrants in the U.S.

In response to the creation of an advisory council by Mexican President Vicente Fox designed to serve as a sounding board between his government and Mexicans who have immigrated to the U.S., various participants Saturday stated they're not against the president's effort. However, they felt the move "an imposition in which we were not invited nor consulted."

..."We don't need the Mexican government to find someone who will represent us," said [[Jerry Domi­nguez]], executive director of Casa Mexico in New York...

The session began with the participation of U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, who attended the meeting on behalf of President George Bush.

Also attending were various senators from Mexico's PRI party and the Green Ecological Party. Also present were... U.S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign from Nevada...

"We don't oppose the decision by Mexico's president to form an advisory committee. We are against him selecting a representative for us that we Mexicans who live here in the U.S. didn't elect," stated Jorge Mujica, a PRD representative from Chicago...