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Hon. Elrington: OAS Adjacency Zone Operating On Skeleton Staff
posted (November 11, 2016)
And amidst all this tension, the only place that you could seem to find a sense of harmony between Belize and Guatemala is at the OAS Adjacency Zone. But as we have reported, they have run into some financial hard times and are struggling to remain open. In fact, a few of the cultural programs have been scrapped because the office simply can't afford it. But Minister Elrington told us that they are finding a way to get by:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"That office is not funded through the regular funds that are utilized by the OAS. It's supported by special funds. Funds which have been donated over the years by the group of friends. A major donor has been the European Union. We do have official word from the European Union that they would be shortly transmitting funds to the OAS - bridging funds to make up for the shortfall and that they fully intend to allocate funds for next year as well. But they are still going through the process. In consequence of the shortfall in the funding, I know that some of the programs has been discontinued. And I think we probably have mostly a skeleton staff who are there and that is what the situation is as far as I am aware up to this point in time."

Reporter
"What kind of programs are we looking at that were discontinued?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"We use to have cultural and educational programs with the children along the border, the children in Guatemala and I think also on the Belize side. Those programs are not financed and therefore we can't continue with them."

The office has secured funding from Taiwan and Turkey. Those monies have been directed to the OAS office in Washington.

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