McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The annual Abrazo Ceremony this weekend will temporarily shut down the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge connecting Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
It is a longstanding tradition in which leaders from Mexico and South Texas will meet in the middle of the bridge and share an embrace on a giant stage.
It “serves as a ‘welcoming ceremony’ between officials and dignitaries from Mexico and the United States, symbolizing goodwill between neighboring nations,” CBP Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores said. “We strongly urge the traveling public to plan ahead and cross earlier, or later, to avoid unnecessary delays.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said the bridge will be closed in both directions starting at 5 a.m. CST, and is expected to reopen by 9 a.m.
The Laredo Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge will be opened at 6 a.m. on Saturday — two hours earlier than normal — to help accommodate traffic, CBP says.
During last year’s Abrazo Ceremony, Laredo Bishop James Tamayo gave the opening prayer and said the ceremony represents the coming together of the Dos Laredos — two Laredos.
“At this moment in history we find ourselves standing upon a most significant structure — a bridge. A bridge built to unite communities, to facilitate the legitimate inter-change of people, uniting families, promoting commerce and facilitating dialogue among people,” Tamayo said.
The Abrazo Ceremony is a tradition that is part of the celebration honoring George Washington’s birthday. During the ceremony, four children — two who portray Washington and his wife, Martha Washington, and two who represent the people of Mexico — exchange hugs on the bridge. They also give gifts, like flags from their country.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, last year was a guest of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, whose hometown is Laredo.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at [email protected].