The following is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Clayton M. McCleskey:

Continuing his visit to Mexico City today, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green met with Luis Felipe Puente Espinosa, Mexico's National Coordinator for Civil Protection. They discussed the recent earthquakes in Mexico, and Administrator Green expressed condolences for those who lost homes and loved ones as a result of these devastating natural disasters.

The Administrator praised the life-saving work of Mexican first-responders, and the efforts of USAID-partner search-and-rescue teams that supported Mexico's response to the September 19th earthquake. Green highlighted U.S.-Mexico cooperation after the earthquake as a sign of the close ties between the two countries. The Administrator also thanked the Government of Mexico for its offers of support in response to hurricane damage in the United States. 

Administrator Green underscored the United States' commitment to continued partnership with Mexican Federal civil-protection officials to increase disaster-preparedness and long-term resilience, including the possibility of cooperation to improve regional early-warning systems. 

The Administrator later visited earthquake-recovery sites, and met with USAID-funded, private-sector, and Government of Mexico engineering teams who are working together to conduct structural assessments of damaged buildings. 

On his second day in Mexico City, Administrator Green met with formerly incarcerated youth at a USAID-supported halfway house that offers rehabilitation and provides an opportunity to receive an education, develop job skills, and build a future for themselves. The Administrator also spoke with Mexican journalists, who continue to do vital work despite violent threats to their safety and to that of their families. He expressed USAID's support for freedom of the press, including through programs to protect journalists and promote independent media.