In the absence of Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Roberto Velasco assumed his duties. How did Juan Ramón de la Fuente get to the SRE? On June 20, 2024, when Claudia Sheinbaum was virtually elected president of Mexico, she designated Juan Ramón de la Fuente as head of the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE). The former rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) also participated in the organization of the 'Dialogues for transformation' tables, which boosted support for Sheinbaum Pardo's candidacy. In addition, he was tasked with coordinating the transition team for the handover of the outgoing and incoming government. De la Fuente is a surgeon from the Faculty of Medicine of UNAM and holds a Master's in Science from the University of Minnesota, United States. Between 1994 and 1999, he was Secretary of Health in the government of Ernesto Zedillo. Juan Ramón de la Fuente resigned as head of the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) for health reasons. To replace De la Fuente, Roberto Velasco, current Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for North America, would take charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to federal sources. In November 2025, the chancellor requested a leave of absence to undergo a surgical procedure. Subsequently, he served as rector of UNAM until 2007. Who is Roberto Velasco, Juan Ramón de la Fuente's successor? Roberto Velasco has experience in managing the diplomatic agenda. He took up his post amid trade tensions over the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He is a lawyer from the Iberoamerican University, with a specialization in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. In public service, he worked at the Legislative Assembly of the country's capital, in the Government of Mexico City, at the Ministry of Economy, and during the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, he joined the Secretariat of Foreign Relations. Roberto Velasco was Director General for Public Affairs, as well as head of the North America Unit, an area in which he remained since 2020 before assuming as Undersecretary.
New Mexican Foreign Minister Appointed
Claudia Sheinbaum appoints a new Foreign Minister after the resignation of his predecessor. We tell about the career of the new head of diplomacy and his predecessor.
