Today Mexico celebrates the anniversary of both it's Army and Air Force, both of which are over a century old. Diplomats and Mexican expats gathered in the Mexican Institute in Belize City to honor the two longstanding branches of the military. The Counselor of the Mexican Embassy, Hugo Juarez Carrillo, gave us a brief history of the Mexican military and how they have and will continue to support Belize...
Jugo Juarez Carrillo, Counsellor for Legal Affairs and Press
"We are celebrating the 104th anniversary of the foundation of the Mexican army and the 102nd anniversary of the foundation of the Mexican air force."
Reporter
"Can you talk to us about some of the strides that have been made to both organizations over the years?"
Jugo Juarez Carrillo, Counsellor for Legal Affairs and Press
"I can tell you that Mexico is much older than his army. Mexico just celebrated more than 200 years of the beginning our independence war in 1910 and what happens is that 104 years ago, the Mexican revolutionary army that were fighting for democracy and to respect the constitution of 1857 won the war against a general that have a coup d'état against the elected president of Mexico of that time, Francisco Madero and then they won the war and the old army that supported the dictator and then we created a new army, not that the old army in that time was very elite army, but an army of the people that now have Mexico and an army of the people."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"Can you talk to us about the military relations between Belize and Mexico. We know that you guys have supported us since our independence."
Jugo Juarez Carrillo, Counsellor for Legal Affairs and Press
"What we proposed to the Belizean government always is cooperation and this regard there are people from the coast guard and the Belize Defence Force that go to Mexico to Mexican military schools to prepare themselves for defend the sovereignty of their own country."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"We know specifically the Rio Hondo area acts as a kind of a net for catching illicit drugs and materials going up from South and Central America towards Mexico and the United States. Can you talk to us about the cooperation for stopping that sort of drugs from coming out?"
Jugo Juarez Carrillo, Counsellor for Legal Affairs and Press
"This is a constant thing. Not only for the army or for the navy, but about the Mexican customs about try to stop this kind of traffic that can go to the north. This is against the Mexican laws and always the Mexican army forces and police forces are trying to fight against it."
Mexico was one of the first countries to acknowledge Belize's sovereignty 35 years ago, and remains an important trade and military partner.
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