Belize and Venezuela Sign Sports MOU

Sports Minister Rodwell Ferguson is in Caracas, Venezuela, where the sixth Central American and Caribbean School Sports Games are taking place. Minister Ferguson who is also the President of the Central American Region of Consecade is accompanying five Belizean athletes who are competing in this year’s games which run from November twentieth to December first.  Also with the minister are Belize’s Sports Council representatives, Marissa Cervantes and Tariq Cano, who are actively participating in a youth leadership development program as part of the delegation’s engagement. According to Cano, the governments of Belize and Venezuela signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries in the realm of sports and youth development. We spoke with Cano about the MOU signing as well as the performance of Belize’s athletes.

Tariq Cano

Tariq Cano, Board Member, National Sports Council

“So far, we have not been lucky. Some of our athletes have been sick. Even Aiden has been injured even though he has qualified. So they are all battling a flu going around here in Venezuela. A lot of the others countries are dealing with the same situation as well. Not just Belize. So we are just doing the best we can and nursing them back to health and see how we can get that done. We have Miss Carr and Miss Angie Reyes and Miss Barbara working on that with them. On Saturday, we signed an MOU between Venezuela and Belize. Mister Ferguson and also the Minister of Sports here in Venezuela witnessed by the Minister of Colombia in regards working relationships between the two countries. That was one of the main objectives. We also still have to complete meetings with the youth section of the party in Venezuela which will be myself and Marissa Cervantes which we will be meeting with them this week. To see how we can create more relations in terms of scholarship opportunities, also youth and political education as well. In this region there is a system that is in place to help educate young politicians and help develop them for a brighter future, something we want to bring to Belize, something different, something that we don’t have.”