Mexico's Baja California Governor stripped of U.S. tourist visa

Figure of a Dog, by Colima, (1–200 CE) The Art Institute of Chicago Figure of a Dog, by Colima, (1–200 CE) The Art Institute of Chicago

The U.S. State Department has revoked tourist visas for one of Mexico's most prominent border state leaders and her husband, straining diplomatic relations between the two nations during a period of heightened cooperation on migration issues.

Marina del Pilar Ávila, governor of Baja California and member of Mexico's ruling Morena party, revealed via social media that both she and her husband Carlos Torres received consular notifications withdrawing their U.S. travel privileges.

When contacted by The Associated Press, U.S. Embassy officials declined to explain the decision, citing the confidentiality of visa records. The sudden revocation comes without any public allegations of wrongdoing against either official.

The governor's husband addressed speculation head-on in a Facebook statement, noting "This procedure does not represent accusation, investigation or formal indication by any authority, neither in Mexico nor in the United States." Torres placed the decision in a broader context, writing that "the application of these administrative criteria has become increasingly common."

[Source: The Hill]

Previously:
• Road trip gone bad: Not quite making it to Baja in my Westy
• Baja in my Westy: driving to Mexico in an '87 Volkswagen bus