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Mexico City, April 15, 2005– “It’s clear to me that no matter where I travel in Mexico, there are some things that the people of our two countries—whether they live in small towns or huge cities—share: a desire for academic excellence, the health and well-being of our people, and pride in outstanding artistic traditions,” said U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza during his trip to Merida.
On April 15 Ambassador Garza traveled to Merida where he inaugurated an exhibition of contemporary sculpture jointly sponsored by the city of Merida, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Yucatan (MACAY) and the MACAY Cultural Foundation. The governor of Yucatan Patricio Patrón Laviada and the mayor of Merida Ing. Manuel Fuentes Alcocer also spoke at the inauguration.
This year, the United States was the featured country and almost 30 American sculptors were invited to exhibit their works along with 17 Mexican artists. The “Merida – City of Sculpture” event is the largest exhibit of American sculptors represented at one time in Mexico. The monumental sculptures will be exhibited along historic Paseo de Montejo and Pasaje de la Revolución until the end of the year.
Ambassador Garza remarked after viewing the exhibit, “Merida is a city that celebrates art: it looks hopefully into the future while cherishing its majestic past.”
The Ambassador also visited the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the Autonomous University of Yucatan, a recipient of a United States government-funded Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships (TIES) partnership award. In collaboration with Cornell University and the University of Veracruz, the program supports and trains ruminant livestock farmers and other decision-makers to respond to changes in technologies, markets and trade policies to increase economic development in the region. Along with Autonomous University of Yucatan President Dr. Raul Humberto Godoy Montañez and other university representatives, the Ambassador visited Santa Rosa, a sheep farm in the project in south of Merida.
Earlier in the day, at the Hospital General Dr. Agustin O’Horan Ambassador Garza donated microscopes to the hospital’s tuberculosis laboratory. The equipment is part of a broader national program of cooperation between the US and Mexico totaling approximately $17 million dollars for the control, prevention and diagnosis of tuberculosis at the state and federal levels.
The Ambassador also recognized Grupo Multisectorial de Yucatan whose pioneering work in the area of HIV/AIDS advocacy began in 1998. Ambassador Garza congratulated Grupo Multisectorial members whose formation was supported under the auspices of the U.S. government.
“I’m delighted to be back in the warm and friendly city of Merida and to share with its citizens these exciting, collaborative developments in the areas of art, education and health,” said U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza.
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