DIPLOMATS FROM SOUTH OF THE U.S. BORDER OPEN TO NEW CONSULATES IN OMAHA TO SERVE NEBRASKA MIGRANTS

OMAHA- In the coming weeks, a new Consulate of Guatemala will officially open its doors in Omaha, joining the nearby Consulate of El Salvador, which was established earlier this year, in serving migrants from those two nations. Once the Guatemalan Consulate officially opens, that will increase Nebraska's number to three diplomatic offices, as a Mexican Consulate has existed in the state since 2000. While they operate as separate entities, the three embassy-like satellites collectively reflect the growing influence of Latino immigrants in Nebraska, who account for half of the state's estimated 150,000 foreign-born residents.

"We know that Nebraska is an important state for our people," said Javier Prudencio, the interim Salvadoran Consul, "It looks like they've discovered the life you have here, the good life." Consulates, which are headed by government-appointed consuls, serve as a link for expatriates, providing them with official documents such as passports and IDs. According to several familiar with Omaha's Consulates, they are believed to open doors to business, academics, and labor markets for those coming from abroad as well as those already living in the state.

"It's going to be easier for us to approach the consuls and learn from them and to understand the challenges, say, of the entrepreneur from El Salvador," said Yesenia Peck, leader of the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. According to Billy Munoz, the Guatemalan Consul, the new Consulate in Omaha will help strengthen the existing embassies' outreach and advocacy efforts, and help more immigrants move to the state, a move that may argue will help the workforce shortage.

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