Quintana Roo, 23 November 2012.- On tour in the State of Quintana Roo, President Calderón inaugurated the Subteniente López II “Chactemal” Bridge, which will boost trade between Mexico and Belize.
President Calderón remarked that opening the bridge will create more economic development and opportunities for progress for the families in the region. It will have appropriate spaces for promoting the development of customs operations, guaranteeing workers’ security and streamline the shipping of merchandise as well as the entry of passengers by bus and light vehicles.
Infrastructure was improved and state-of-the-art furniture and equipment was purchased. The Customs Office is now better equipped to provide efficient service for users and strengthen Mexico‘s links with international markets. An investment of nearly 180 million pesos was required.
Belize and Mexico signed an agreement for the construction of the bridge back in June of 2005 when the then-President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, visited Belize. The Mexican government agreed to finance the construction of the bridge, 500 meters of road from the bridge into the Belizean territory, and the access road from the bridge to the Subteniente Lopez community in Santa Elena located in the state of Quintana Roo. Those projects were completed since 2008.
However, the Belize government has been unable to construct the stretch of road, approximately a quarter of a mile long, from the end of 500 meters off the foot of bridge on the Belize side of border to the current Belizean Border facilities. The office of President Calderón said that in the framework of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belize made a request to the Mexican government to finance the construction of the section of the highway that is still pending for the bridge to be officially opened.
President Calderón said that the project responds to an agreement between the two governments that was first made in 2008 to open a new international bridge to encourage trade between the two countries. Calderón also said that the bridge offers more efficient and secure movement of people and goods and benefits more than 2,900 people living on both sides of the border.
President Calderon was joined by Governor Roberto Borge Ángulo and Belize’s Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Gaspar Vega who spoke at the inauguration and thanked the Mexican Government for the commitment to making the new, modern international bridge a reality. Vega also said that the boundaries that define our territories have required modern facilities that will allow for the growth of friendship, cooperation and an increasing flow of trade between our two countries. (Pictures provided by Mexican Embassy of Belize)
