Miami Fl October 16, 2023 -“If the world’s leading companies can bring all kinds of goods and services to our doorsteps and address us by name, why don’t our governments do the same?” questions a young Mexican Senator named Israel Zamora Guzmán, a professional lawyer and app developer. “The public service, which is the most crucial service we can receive, isn’t reaching our homes,” he asserts. “This bad practice must be banished forever. It’s absurd for governments to wait for citizens, their employers, to come to government offices for all kinds of requests and procedures, navigating endless obstacles and bureaucracy,” exclaims Zamora, clearly upset.
From the Cuauhtémoc Borough, the heart of Mexico City and the site of the last Aztec city, the great Tenochtitlán, the senator, alongside a small group of collaborators and volunteers, walks up to 6 hours a day, going door-to-door, to listen, capture, and process the requests citizens make, whether it’s raining or sunny.
The Cuauhtémoc Borough houses Mexico’s three federal branches. The National Palace, which is the official residence of Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as well as the National Supreme Court of Justice and the Senate, are located there, as are several places identified as “red spots” due to their high crime rates. The Mexico City Government Palace, formerly the residence of Claudia Sheinbaum, a potential first female president of Mexico, is situated also in this borough.
Technology Serving the People: CercaD-Ti
The senator has implemented a technology called “CercaD-Ti” that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to process over 120,000 citizen requests in just one year, a feat unprecedented in the history of the Mexican senate and likely unparalleled elsewhere on the continent. Israel Zamora, identified as one of the main generational successors in Mexican politics, passionately explains that his guiding light is based on a phrase he claims to have heard in a dream a couple of years ago: “Serve everyone, and let no one go unserved.”
Boosting the Entrepreneurial Spirit
“IMPULSARTE” (To Boost You) is a Zamora initiative that freely supports small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and is also unparalleled. Over 4,200 entrepreneurs are already part of this program, which revolves around networking, training, business incubation, and acceleration activities held in the Senate for the past two years, every Monday starting at 7 in the morning.
In terms of the program’s success stories, the senator shares an anecdote: “A young man approached me during a community event. After sharing some personal struggles, he confided, ‘I’m going to commit suicide.’ I invited him to IMPULSARTE. With the support of other entrepreneurs, he now owns a small business and has become a community representative for his neighbors.”
The initiative’s novelty has begun attracting attention from universities in both the United States and Mexico. Florida’s “Nova Southeastern University” Innovation Center is already in talks with the senator to explore potential synergies, like those already happening in Mexico. Universities such as UNAM, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Iberoamericana, Anáhuac, Panamericana, and the Escuela Bancaria Comercial already participate by offering free training to hundreds of entrepreneurs every week at the Senate’s facilities.
In sports, the senator’s endeavors have quickly caught the attention of specialists. “Loisirs” is a program that seeks to discover sporting talent right at the doorstep of every Mexico City home. By leveraging technology, it organizes participation of the youth residing in the borough.
When it comes to music, the “EnCantArte” program stands out. This initiative invites individuals from each home to participate in a singing contest and workshop. Involved in the project are artists, YouTubers, and music specialists with experience from reality shows of one of Mexico’s major television networks.
Beyond Legislation: Life-changing Actions
“It’s not enough to approve laws that theoretically promote culture and sports but never become a reality. It’s urgent that we begin to materialize a brighter future for Mexicans,” says Zamora.
Thousands have registered for the senator’s musical and sports programs, many of whom are young people. This serves as a significant tool to prevent youth from turning their attention towards organized crime or succumbing to vices.
International Recognition: From Mexico to the World
His aforementioned actions have earned the senator various accolades both in his home country and abroad, including in Greece and U.S. states like Florida, Illinois, and Nevada. There, he also delivered lectures and discussions advocating migrant rights, such as in Indiana, New Jersey, and Washington. In the last state, he also visited migrants whose labor rights had been infringed upon by certain dairies.
When asked about his future plans, the senator simply states his ambition to run in 2024 as the Morena party candidate, and its allies, to govern the Cuauhtémoc Borough. “I just need an opportunity to prove there’s a way to build a magnificent Mexico. To demonstrate that true change begins with us, and together we’ll make Mexico a global benchmark in people-centered politics.
Media Contact:
Nick Berancourt
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