What Do Benquenos Know About the O.A.S. and the Adjacency Zone?

This coming Tuesday, a special forum will be held at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts by the Office of the Organization of American States and the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala, Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales, will address the forum on diplomatic issues and the culture of peace program of the O.A.S. The adjacency zone was created as a part of the Confidence Building Measures Agreement penned between both countries back in 2000. And in 2003, the office located between the Western and the Guatemalan borders was established. Aside from heath, education and cultural exchange shared between both countries, the office also provides a year round arts program at its facilities for students from Belize and Guatemala. Today we headed west to find out if residents in Benque Viejo, Succotz and San Ignacio are aware of the work of the O.A.S.  Here’s what we found out.

Resident # 1

“No idea at all.”

Reporter

“You don’t even know what the adjacency zone is?”

Resident # 1

“Yes, the one that advice the borderline between Guatemala and Belize; the O.A.S. right.”

Reporter

“The O.A.S. is there…do you know what programs they offer?”

Resident # 1

“So far, I haven’t heard of anything happening in this area. But yeah, I usually pass and when I pass the borderline, I see a lot of people from the other side in the workshops, but I barely see that they market anything on the Belizean side.”

Reporter

“So you don’t see much activity here on this side to see Belizeans participating in activities?”

Resident # 1

“I haven’t seen actual Belizeans going there. A few but mostly Belizeans going there.”

Reporter

“But that aside, you know what the O.A.S. is and what they do?”

Resident # 1

“No idea. I think O.A.S. is on Guatemalan side right and Belizean side…usually. Look what happened at Jalacte. What’s happening is that they don’t market too much of their projects or what they do. We have a House of Culture in Benque, but we don’t usually get no notifications out there so it would be nice if they would let us know to find out more about the O.A.S. and let Belizeans know about it too also, especially us that live in the adjacency zone.”

Resident # 2

 “I only know about the programs weh dehn teach students about guitar playing, arts…that’s it.”

Reporter

“Nothing else you don’t know about the O.A.S.?”

Resident # 2

“No, nothing else.”