BROWNSVILLE, RGV – Tony Martinez and Armando López, Mayors of Brownsville, Texas and Altamira, Tamaulipas, signed an agreement to work together in their cities ‘common interests, including Economic Development, Trade, Education and tourism. In a ceremony held at the Casa Alonso Building, Both men, spoke about the countless benefits of joining forces given the fact that their cities share multiple interests and are, among other things, neighboring ports.
Altamira is the closest next port south of Brownsville, and is located in an area conurbation that includes Tampico and Ciudad Madero in the southern part of Tamaulipas.
The agreement is to expand mutual economic development projects and opportunities to the betterment of both communities. In their speeches Martinez and López both downgraded the significance of the ¨physical barriers¨ between the two nations and emphasized on the importance of promoting and working together on the commonwealth of the people of Brownsville and Altamira.
Armando López is about to end his period as a Mayor and the PRI political party will also leave the executive city office because from October first, a Mayor from the opposite political party PAN won the recent elections and will be in charge of the City of Altamira. Nevertheless, López commented that regardless of the political standing of who runs the city, the agreement of sisterhood with Brownsville will be sustained because it is in the interest of all citizens of both countries.
For his part, Tony Martinez’s most significant remark in his speech was when he emphasized the lesser importance of physical barriers between the Mexican and the American Nations, compared with the possibilities and benefits of mutual cooperation and friendship, which gains particular significance in the context with the national controversy on border wall and separation reinforcement.
