On 6 March 2026 in Puebla, a delegation from the Transatlantic Dialogue Center (TDC) and the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) held working meetings with Puebla’s Secretariat for Economic Development and Labor and Puebla’s Secretariat of Arts and Culture as part of the advocacy visit to Mexico.
The TDC–IRF delegation included Oleksandr Slyvchuk (Coordinator of the Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program, TDC), Alina Rohach (Project Manager of the Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program, TDC), Bohdana Batsko (Project Assistant of the Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program, TDC), and Olha Kvashuk (“Europe and the World” Program Manager, IRF).
At Puebla’s Secretariat for Economic Development and Labor, the delegation met with Víctor Gabriel Chedraui (Secretary) and Eduardo Alcántara Montiel (Director General for Investment Promotion and Attraction). At Puebla’s Secretariat of Arts and Culture, the delegation met with Lic. Emilio Herrera Corichi (Deputy Secretary of Culture). Across both meetings, the discussion covered Ukrainian civil society’s perspective on peace prospects, the current situation in Kyiv and across Ukraine, and the war’s impact on civilians — with a particular focus on the documented abduction of over 20,000 Ukrainian children and the role of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in shaping coordinated humanitarian action. The participants also discussed the importance of engaging local authorities on humanitarian cooperation with Ukraine, including encouraging national-level engagement with the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The meeting with the Secretariat of Arts and Culture additionally highlighted the importance of strengthening cultural cooperation between Mexico and Ukraine.
During the Puebla programme, the delegation was also hosted for a visit to “Biblioteca Palafoxiana”, a library in Puebla City’s historic centre. Founded in 1646, it is recognized by UNESCO for being the first and oldest public library in the Americas. We sincerely appreciate this opportunity and the warm hospitality extended to our delegation.
We also express our special thanks to Tamara Ibarra, who served as our point of contact in Mexico throughout our visit and, over the course of the visit, supported the organization of our agenda and provided strategic guidance.
This project was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.