ExpoFer coming up in Chetumal

Thousands of Belizeans trek across the border to the annual Feria de la Frontera Sur, also known as ExpoFer, which over time has grown into an international event in neighbouring Chetumal. The Fair provides trade opportunities to hundreds of business establishments in the entire state of Quintana Roo and many local companies participate annually. There are new fun activities planned at this year’s event including bungee jumping, a cow milking competition and as a special treat, kids will have the opportunity to visit a pet zoo. The cultural aspect of the fair is one of its main attractions and the Pantempers Steel Band is booked for the cultural extravaganza. Marcelino Miranda, Head of Mexican Embassy’s Press Section, tells us why Expofer is a must on your calendar.

Marcelino Miranda, Head of Mexican Embassy Press Section
“The fair now is an international fair so Belizeans are invited. They will participate, for example; steel band from Belize, they will be artist from other countries. There will be not only artistic and cultural activities, but also handicrafts. There will be agricultural shows. There will be other kind of activities. There will be a playground for children; that’s new in the fair. So this is a family event and it’s not only a cultural event, but also an economic and agricultural show. So there will be participants not only from Chetumal, but also participants from all around Mexico and there will be participants from other countries.”

Jorge Vargas, Chief Organizer ExpoFer
“We are trying to show you the best face of Chetumal: a moment to be happy, a moment to be with your family. This is the first time also we have a playground for kids, where you bring the kid in. We have a pet zoo, they have a movie.”

Marcelino Miranda
“This is going to be an opportunity not only to get in contact with the Mexican culture but also their own culture, the Belizean culture and the culture of the region and from other countries.”

The two week event runs from sixteenth October to the first of November.

And if you are planning to attend the upcoming ExpoFer, Miranda provided tips that will ensure a smooth visit including consular and insurance information. And according to Miranda, the Mexican authorities are doing their best to ensure the security of visitors.

Marcelino Miranda, Head of Mexican Embassy
“It’s very easy to visit Chetumal, to visit Mexico. We have three different ways in order to travel: one is the visa that you can apply at the consular section in Belize City or at the honorary consulate of Mexico in Corozal; the second way, you can take your Belizean passport, a valid Belizean passport, and then you can go to the border, you just have to register and you can stay in Chetumal up to three days; and the third way in order to visit Chetumal is with your visitor card, is the FMVL card. Now all the consular stamps are valid for six months and it’s multiple entries. So they don’t have to come to the consular section every time they want to come to Mexico. It is very important to follow some rules. One of them is to hold a Mexican Insurance. That’s very important you can actually get it at the border. There are many companies. Take your property certificate of your vehicle with you and also you need to bring a valid Belizean driver’s license. That’s very important with those documents. The police officers in Chetumal, they are entitled to check the documents to Mexicans and to Belizeans. If you have those documents you won’t have any problem. I wanted to remind the Belizean public that they are protected when they visit Mexico. So the first thing is that if they feel uncomfortable the way in which police officers treat them, they can file a complaint at the Mexican Embassy. So they can contact us, it’s 822-0406 or 223-0193/94. They can file a complaint and the other thing is that if they are detained by a police officer and they are taken to a police station they are entitled to contact the consulate of Belize in Chetumal.”

Entrance to the grounds at Expofer is free and there will be performances from artists and bands from both Belize and Mexico.