US shows off $1 billion Mexico City embassy after years of delays

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. government inaugurated its new $1 billion-plus embassy in Mexico on Tuesday, about two years after it was scheduled to be completed.

Outgoing US Ambassador. Ken Salazar said the largest US embassy in the world “highlights the special relationship between our nations and countries.”

The government ground broke at the new embassy in February 2018. The US will vacate its current building on the Mexican capital’s grand Paseo de la Reforma boulevard, which has been the scene of regular marches and protests over the years.

The new embassy is located on a former industrial estate that required extensive cleaning of toxic substances. The area known as New Polanco includes modern museums and other luxury projects developed by Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world.

However, the new building is still not open to the public. That probably won’t be until the end of next year as work continues.

The dedication comes just ahead of newly elected President Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month. He has promised mass deportations and threatened Mexico with them crippling rates if it doesn’t do more to control immigration and drug trafficking.

Trump has Amb. Ron Johnson as the next ambassador to Mexico. Johnson served as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term.

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