12 DA members gathered in La Paz, BCS on 10 April 2025, the first known DA meeting in Baja California Sur.
Democrats Abroad, part of the Democratic Party of the United States, held their first meeting in La Paz on 10 April at the Biblioteca Pública Central Estatal Filemón C. Piñeda, according to Scott Hoffman, a local volunteer with the group and the organizer.
“We had 12 people attend, which is wonderful for a first meeting. There are lots of US citizens who live in La Paz, and we want them to know that there are fellow Democrats and US citizens here who are not happy with what is happening in the United States right now. The tariffs, the deportations, the firing of public workers, the attacks on government pensions – much of what the US government is doing now is hurting US citizens, and poorest are often hit hardest.”
“We want people to know that they are not alone, and we especially want people to know how to exercise their right to vote in US elections while in Mexico. US citizens, which includes anyone born in the United States, including dual Mexican-US citizens, do not give up their right to vote just because they live in another country.”
Democrats Abroad has operated in Mexico for 25 years, and has local chapters in Baja (covering Baja and Baja Sur), Costa Banderas, Guadalajara, Lake Chapala, Ciudad de México, Istmo (Oaxaca area), San Miguel de Allende, and Yucatán (covering Yucatán and Quintana Roo). They operate around the world with committees in almost 50 countries, and the Mexico Country Committee has one of the largest memberships.
“Even though Mexico is one of the top five countries for membership, there are so many US citizens, including dual Mexican-US citizens, that we need to reach. The 2020 Mexican Census shows hundreds of thousands of US-born people living in Mexico, and we believe the majority of these people agree with Democratic values.
We want people to reach out to their friends and neighbors, and to spread the word. We need every US citizen abroad to exercise their right to vote if we are going to make positive changes in the United States.”
More meetings are planned to allow members to socialize, discuss topics of interest to US expatriates, and to learn more about organizing efforts in the area. Meetings are also planned for the Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, and Todos Santos.
In addition to organizing and promoting voting rights, Democrats Abroad has interest groups that provide information about US tax issues for expatriates, and about areas of common interest to Democrats, including the Climate Emergency and LGBTQ+ rights.
It is the official policy of Democrats Abroad not to comment on political matters in Mexico or other countries, nor does Democrats Abroad comment on United States foreign policy. For more information, please see our website, www.DemocratsAbroad.org/mx_bajacal.
Photo credit: Brighton West