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SANTA ANA, Calif. – During the 2024 Fiestas Patrias celebration, Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua proudly presented a Key to the City to Mayor Dr. Manuel Gálvez Sánchez from Sahuayo, Michoacán, Mexico, commemorating the ongoing Sister City relationship between the two municipalities. The ceremony took place on September 14 alongside members of both city councils and staff.
“The Key to the City is a symbol of unity between our two communities,” said Mayor Amezcua. “Through our sister city agreement, Sahuayo and Santa Ana are building friendship, goodwill, educational, cultural, environmental, and business exchanges that will benefit us both.”
This marks the second year that a delegation from Sahuayo has attended Santa Ana’s annual Fiestas Patrias event, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day with a vibrant two-day festival.
The Sister City Agreement, signed in 2022 at Santa Ana City Hall, was further formalized during Mayor Amezcua’s visit to Sahuayo in 2023. During their latest visit, the Sahuayo delegation engaged with city officials, local businesses, Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, and the National Hispanic Business Women Association. They toured notable sites including Santa Ana College, Bowers Museum, and Santa Ana Zoo.
The Sahuayo delegation also discussed several ideas for collaboration between the two cities, such as a joint mural in Downtown Santa Ana, a business expo in Santa Ana focused on international trade, the potential donation of surplus water equipment to Sahuayo, and an exhibit of traditional masks from Sahuayo, called Tlahualiles, to be held at Bowers Museum from October 24, 2026, to April 25, 2027.
Editor’s note: Sahuayo, Mexico is located in the State of Michoacan. Currently the U.S. State Department has posted this travel advisory for the State of Michoacan:
Michoacan state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
- Federal Highway 15D: U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
- Morelia: U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
- Lazaro Cardenas: U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.
To view a map of the restricted areas, visit https://mx.usembassy.gov/maps-of-restricted-areas.
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of the Monarch Butterfly Reserve located in Michoacan.
