Posted on 04/23/2005 7:19:49 PM PDT by CHARLITE
MEXICO CITY - U.S. Ambassador and Texas Republican star Tony Garza is marrying his very wealthy Mexican wife today — again — in a private ceremony at a piney woods lake resort to which Mexico City's elite retreat for weekends.
Garza and Maria Asuncion Aramburuzabala, a brewing and television magnate who reportedly is Mexico's wealthiest woman, were wed by the Roman Catholic Church in late February. Today's civil ceremony is for their union to be legal here.
The ecstatic couple make clear that it's all about the love. But their marriage weds enormous wealth with political potential, making them a binational curiosity and Republican darlings.
With a fortune pegged at $1.2 billion, the 42-year-old Aramburuzabala — widely known as Mariasun — is the heiress of the Grupo Modelo brewing empire, which sells Corona beers to the world. She also holds a large stake in the Televisa broadcasting empire and manages an investment firm.
This weekend's festivities cap a whirlwind romance that began last fall after Garza's stumbling request for Aramburuzabala's e-mail address.
U.S. ambassadors tend to live in a fishbowl here, so tongues wagged when the couple announced in January they would marry.
The 400-strong guest list hasn't been made public. But those attending the three-day wedding party are believed to include business and political powerhouses from both sides of the border such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry and, probably, first lady Laura Bush.
Garza, 45, a lawyer who served as secretary of state and on the Texas Railroad Commission before being appointed ambassador, is a friend and political ally of President Bush.
The son of a Brownsville gas station owner, Garza was raised in a tradition-minded Mexican-American family. Growing up he was equally at ease in his hometown and in Matamoros, across the Rio Grande.
Given the Republican Party's designs on Latino votes, Garza is routinely mentioned as a likely candidate for the Texas statehouse or a U.S. Senate seat.
"It's a great event," said Reggie Bashur, an Austin-based political consultant. "We all have a lot of respect and affection for Tony."
It is the first marriage for Garza. Aramburuzabala has two children from a prior marriage.
Among the most intriguing unknowns is their address once Garza's stint as ambassador comes to an end. Garza won't publicly commit to a political future.
"There's not this grand plan out there. It's about doing what you're doing and do it well," Garza said. Added his wife: "The first thing for us is our relationship, not what we do for a living. So, if we need to stop doing something in order to be together, we will."
But then Aramburuzabala told of advice she received from her friend Ann Richards, the former Texas governor who lost to the president in the 1994 gubernatorial election.
The Texas governor's mansion is a nice place, she recalled Richards telling her. But Richards added that the newlyweds might find the place in need of a makeover.
there you have it folks--why doesn't your opinion about illegal immigration get attention in washington?
answer: because the washington, texas, and mexican elites are wedded together financially and literally.
it's not only republicans, but democrats as well. robert rubin of the clinton administration was a former goldman sachs official. in december, 1994, when el presidente ernesto zedillo came into office he was immediately faced with a peso devaluation left to him by his predecessor carlos salinas gotari. goldman sachs assisted the mexican billionaires in getting their money OUT of mexico prior to the peso devaluation. mexicans were devastated by the devaluation.
carlos salinas went into exile in ireland. his brother raoul is in jail for ordering the murder of his brother in law who was found in bed with another man. raoul's wife showed up in switzerland, attempting to withdraw millions of dollars.
president bush 41 used to take his wife and kids to the estate of raoul salinas in mexico. the kids of both families used to play together--including president bush 43.
Is she hot?
Just what we need, another Mexican-owned Texas politician.
some of her products may be......
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U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza (R) and his wife Maria Asuncion Aramburuzabala (2nd R), Mexican Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha (L) and U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales (2nd L) pose for a photo at the Ambassador's residence in Mexico City, March 29, 2005. Gonzales is on a two day working visit to Mexico, his first since being sworn in as Attorney General. REUTERS/Andrew Winning |
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Thanks. I was expecting more of a Selma Hayek.
ping
I guess I expected more from a "conservative."
Can't disagree with you there. I'm perpetually scratching my head about Bush's immigration policy. I guess there are some things that I just won't ever be able to understand, and this is one of them. Unless he's playing some kind of a hidden, high stakes strategy, then he's got me bewildered.
The guy who gave that rousing, fabulously patriotic speech before the congress, which he ended with, "My Fellow Americans,...........LET'S ROLL!".........would be a guy, or so I thought, who would have immediately ordered our borders (northern and southern) SEALED, until further notice! That's what I expected. So.......yes. I agree with you. Kerry would have been worse, theoretically, but then I can't really see that the situation could be worse than it is right now, with 4,000 per day flowing into this country. How could it have been worse with Kerry? I'm now contradicting myself, am I not?
All it will do is drag us down.
Guess I better 'fess up now. We like Tony Garza. We've met him a couple times. He took our son to the 4th of July Parade when I had to work :o( Long story. When he was appointed Sec. of State for the Great State of Texas my son came running into the room and said: "Look Daddy Tony's on TV!" He was the (only) Conservative Judge in Cameron County when we knew him. Oh, and he likes good cigars :o)
Congratulations Tony and Maria!
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