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| San Pedro Mayor Elsa Paz and Chetumal Mayor Eduardo
Espinosa Abuxapqui join hands to seal alliance
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December 5th, 2003 will long be remembered as a historical day
on the island as the community celebrated the formation of a sister
relationship between the town of San Pedro, Belize and the city of
Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Last Friday morning, Mayor Eduardo Espinosa Abuxapqui and twenty
Chetumal councilors, accompanied by the Ambassador of Mexico to Belize
Arturo Trejo, and members of the Mexican press arrived on the island to
witness the signing of an established agreement between the two
municipalities.
After a brief welcome at the airstrip, the Mexican delegation was
treated to delicious Caribbean cuisine at Caliente restaurant. A
conference between the Belizean and Mexican delegations followed at
Banana Beach Resort where SP Mayor Elsa Paz welcomed those gathered. In
her speech, she stated how this was just the beginning of a
relationship that has long been held together by a close union. She
observed that San Pedro and Chetumal share some of the same family
names and also a "common bond with only the separation of a fictional
boundary." Mayor Paz encouraged the further exchange of customs,
traditions and most importantly the "exploration of our cities'
resources as tourism products."
The Chetumal Mayor expressed much of the same sentiment stating, "I
hope that this will be a long-lasting and mutually beneficial
relationship."
This municipal bond is hoped to enhance the development of each
community by sharing cultural and lifestyle challenges, and discussing
the actions needed to address them. The officials then signed the
agreement listing the goals they wished to achieve from this "joining
of hands," which were: to strengthen the friendship that unites them;
to carry out projects that will attract trade and investment to their
communities; and to find solutions to common municipal challenges, by
exchanging "lessons learned" from similar experiences.
The two delegations came together again Friday evening for a
succulent Brazilian Rotisserie dinner at El Divino restaurant, where
the "Mariachis Los Gallos de Mexico," enchanted the dinner guests.
Joining the dignitaries for the evening's event were Belizean beauty
ambassadors, Miss Belize Leilah Pandy and Miss San Pedro Tatiana
Rivero.
The entertainment continued that evening in Central Park where
members and guests of the community were serenaded by the Mariachis
once again. In turn, Belizeans and Mexicans joined them in song as a
symbol of the unity established by this recently created Belize-Mexico
alliance.
On Saturday, the dignitaries from Mexico were treated to a tour of
the island followed by a visit to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark/Ray
Alley. Before their departure, Mayor Elsa Paz and the San Pedro Town
Councilors accepted an invitation to visit Chetumal on January 22nd for
a reciprocal celebration of this "sisterhood."
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