Downey, El Grullo formalize new sister city partnership

Downey Mayor Mario Trujillo, right, accepts a ceremonial gift from a delegation from El Grullo, Mexico, on Tuesday. Photo by Alex Dominguez

DOWNEY — Downey welcomed its seventh sister city on Tuesday, exchanging gifts, kind words, and flags with a delegation from El Grullo, Jalisco, Mexico.

At the welcoming ceremony, Mayor Mario Trujillo spoke on the history of the sister city program before addressing the newest partnership.

“In 1961, then president [Dwight D. Eisenhower] made a call for cities across America to establish relationships with cities across borders, and we were the first; we answered the call, and we became sister cities with Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1962,” said Trujillo. “The city council voted, we approved the recommendation made by [Downey Sister Cities]. It was a unanimous vote, and that’s why we’re here today to formalize that relationship.”

Milton Carlos Cárdenas Osorio, Mayor of El Grullo, said the partnership was important “so that we can come closer together.”

“It’s really important for us to formalize these relationships. We’re very fortunate that the mayor of Downey, that his roots are from our region,” said Osorio. “A lot of people from El Grullo are here present; they live in Downey, and they contributed to the growth of the city.

“To formalize this sisterhood between the cities signifies that we’re creating a vehicle; even though we’re distanced apart, it’s a humanitarian act to bring us together. The most important thing is the people, their feelings, to see each other, to hug each other, to remember each other, to feel each other like human beings.”

El Grullo is Downey’s seventh sister city, joining Guadalajara, Mexico, Valle of San Quinten, Mexico, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Ensenada, Mexico, Fresnillo, Mexico, and Roscommon, Ireland.