Monday marked the first official day for the new consulate in Oklahoma City, which is one of 19 across the country and offers Guatemalan citizens access to official documentation and other services.

Under Guatemala President Jimmy Morales, who attended an opening ceremony in Oklahoma City on Sunday, the new consulate is part of a strategic effort to double the number across the United States and open offices in communities where the Guatemalan population is large and growing.

The Guatemalan government estimates more than 25,000 Guatemalans live in Oklahoma and another 10,000 in Kansas, which will also be served by the Oklahoma City consulate.

"Oklahoma is considered a very strategic state for us right now," said Ambassador Jose Arturo Rodriguez Diaz, who was tapped by the Guatemalan government to manage the Oklahoma City consulate.