Area's Mexican Consul Is Transferred to Florida

Luz Elena Bueno Zirion on Friday ended her service as the Mexican consul in Ventura County and begins a new posting next week in Orlando, Fla., where she will oversee the consul's office.

Zirion will be replaced by Fernando Gamboa Rosas, who most recently worked in public administration for the Mexican government in Mexico City. He is expected to arrive in Oxnard about March 10. In the interim, the local consulate will continue to issue visas, ID cards and other documents.

Zirion, 54, has represented the Mexican government in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since 1996. It is common for diplomats to be transferred after serving several years in one community, she said.

Zirion has helped organize yearly Mexican Independence Day celebrations, spoken out on behalf of the Mexican community and has been involved in a number of programs, including one aimed at curbing domestic violence.