On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, Mexico celebrated the Mexican Army and Air Force Day and its 100th Anniversary. In Belize, the office of the Military Attaché of the Mexican Embassy held a commemoration ceremony on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The event was headed by the Mexican Military and Air Attaché, General Pedro Almazan, and the Mexican Ambassador Mario Velazquez.
In celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Mexican Army, General Almazan remarked that this military force includes individuals from all sectors of the society, the voluntary recruitment of its members and its positive reputation for its subordination to civil authority, which have characterized it above other defense forces in the world.
Mexican Military and Air Attaché, General Pedro Almazan
He emphasized that the Mexican Army has never been nor will be an instrument of conquest or aggression against other countries, due to the fact that its pacifist mission requires focusing with loyalty and true dedication to service, in maintaining institutional order and in the tasks that contribute to the country’s progress. General Almazan also highlighted the role of the Army in providing security and defense of Mexican sovereignty, as well as the gender policies implemented and the respect for the Rule of Law and Human Rights.
He added that the moral and political thought of today’s Mexican Army is an undeniable product of the paths of loyalty and professionalism from the last 100 years, as well as the guide granted by the Military Education, offered from many years to the Mexican military personnel, supported by a quality military education system. This system consists of various colleges, schools, research centres and other training and development courses of academic excellence that has therefore become one of the fundamental pillars of the Mexican military institutions.
General Almazan underlined as well that proud of these achievements, eager to share with the armed forces of friend countries and neighbours, and by ratifying their solidarity and fraternal support, every year the Mexican Army and Air Force open the doors of its military schools. Members of those armies are welcome to pursue, as scholarship recipients, professional careers and to conduct specialized courses.
Invited guests to the ceremony were the Governor General Sir Colville Young, CEO in the Ministry of National Security, Coronel George Lovell, CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alexis Rosado, Commander of the Belize Defense Force (BDF), General David Jones, Commander of the Belize National Coast Guard (BNCG), Captain John Borland, as well as military attachés in Belize, Ambassadors and other members of the Diplomatic Corps and Belizean government officials.
In particular, the Mexican Military Attaché praised the friendship between Belize and Mexico, specially the commendable work of the Mexican Army in providing assistance to Belize, including the Belizean population during natural disasters. In the last twelve months, bilateral relations have been strengthened through the following actions:
– The successful completion by a group of Mexican military engineers of the construction of the interconnection road, from the new international bridge Chac-Temal to the Belizean customs and port facilities, in the Northern border.
– The 7th Belize-Mexico Border Military Commanders Meeting which took place in Chetumal, Mexico.
– The scholarship program for Belizean students for 2013-2014 provided by the Mexican Ministry of National Defense, through the Mexican Military Attaché.
The program includes 12 training courses for Officers and Sergeants of the Army and Air Force in different Military Schools such as Aviation, Medical, Dentistry, Military Engineers, Health, Nurses or Transmissions; 8 Specialized courses for Officers of the Army, as well as 4 Masters, 13 Medical Specialist, 15 Postgraduate courses, 17 Medical Subspecialist, and 10 Technical-Specialized Courses for Military, Naval and Civil Surgeons, Nurses and Health Service.
The Mexican Army was created by Venustiano Carranza in 1913 under the name of “Constitutionalist Army” in order to fight the coup d’État that overthrown the then newly elected democratic regimen.
