Tuesday, April 21, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Healey Family Student Center Social Room
April 21, 2026
A Conversation with Esteban Moctezuma, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States
Event Series: Conversations with Ambassadors
As part of its Ambassador Series, the Georgetown Americas Institute is pleased to welcome His Excellency Esteban Moctezuma, ambassador of Mexico to the United States, for a wide-ranging conversation with Ambassador Andres Duran, former ambassador of Uruguay in the United States, on the evolving Mexico-U.S. relationship and priorities for the new administration of Claudia Sheinbaum.
As the United States and Mexico navigate one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world, a complex set of shared challenges is reshaping cooperation across borders. From managing migration flows and addressing the fentanyl crisis to balancing security collaboration with concerns over sovereignty, both nations are confronting issues that increasingly link domestic priorities with regional stability. At the same time, tensions and opportunities within the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement underscore the deep economic interdependence that binds the two countries, even as trade becomes a tool of political leverage. In this context, we are pleased to host both ambassadors to share their insights on key issues shaping the relationship, including trade, migration, climate change, and regional security.
Featuring
Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States of America by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He was ratified by the Senate of the Republic in February 2021 with 115 votes in favor of 116 attending senators. Before, he had served as secretary of public education since 2018. Among his government positions, he previously served as secretary of social development (1998 to 1999); federal senator of the Republic (1997 to 1998); secretary of interior (1994 to 1995); undersecretary of educational planning and coordination (1993 to 1994) and chief administrative officer (1992 to 1993) at the Secretariat of Public Education; chief administrative officer at the Secretariat of Programming and Budget (1988 to 1992); and secretary of administration for the Government of the State of Sinaloa (1982 to 1987). He was responsible for implementing the autonomy of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (1994). Ambassador Moctezuma earned a degree in economics by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He also obtained a Master’s degree in economic development from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and completed a course on regional development in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas. Regarding his career in civil society, he served as Executive President of Fundación Azteca (2001 to 2018); promoter of the System of Children's and Youth Symphony Orchestras Esperanza Azteca (2009 to 2018); trainer of Youth of Excellence through the Bicentennial Generation Scholarships (2010 to 2018); promoter of the program for the conservation of natural protected areas ¡Que viva la Selva Lacandona! (2004 to 2018); responsible for the campaign Limpiemos nuestro México (2009 to 2018); member of the Board of Directors at the Mexican Foundation of Health (2004 to 2018); president of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Public Health (2011 to 2015); assembly member at the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (2013 to 2017); vice president of the organization Entrepreneurs in Basic Education and president of Social Commitment for the Quality and Equity of Education. Ambassador Moctezuma has been a columnist for several Mexican newspapers and has written several books.
Andrés A. Durán is a visiting fellow at the Georgetown Americas Institute. He served as ambassador of Uruguay to the United States from 2020 to 2025, during the government of President Luis Lacalle Pou. He was dean of the Latin America diplomatic corps in Washington, DC, both under the Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations. During his tenure, Uruguay and the United States deepened their economic partnership through trade and investments and developed a close political relationship that was reflected in new security and education agreements, initiatives to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, bipartisan bills, and fulfillment of all requirements to obtain Visa Waiver Program status (currently in implementation phase), among others. Before becoming an ambassador, he worked in private equity and real estate deals in Latin America, as well as an executive advisor of investment manager Ashmore Group; previously he worked over 20 years as a corporate lawyer in the region, particularly in mergers and acquisitions transactions and foreign direct investment projects, as a partner of law firms based in Uruguay. Ambassador Durán has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, an LL.M. in international legal studies from Georgetown Law (as a Fulbright Scholar), and a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of Uruguay.