A new Jalisco government program is giving elderly Mexican citizens the chance to fly to the United States to visit relatives some have not seen for more than 20 years.
Sixteen people will be the first beneficiaries of Familias Sin Fronteras, a program which pays for the tourist visas and round-trip air fares of deserving citizens.
The visits are limited to 30 days, after which all the participants are obliged to return home to Mexico.
Governor Aristoteles Sandoval urged the beneficiaries to respect the rules as it will enable the program to continue.
The program has been coordinated by the Jalisco state government with help from the United States Consulate General.
The cost of obtaining a visa to travel to the United States as a tourist is $US160.
The aim for the remainder of the year is to reunite around 100 more seniors from Jalisco with family members living in the United States.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Sandoval said this year’s election in the United States presents “real threats that seek to divide us … we can’t allow ourselves to be isolated, we need to demonstrate our power, given that 1.6 million jaliscienses live in the United States.”