San Pedro Mayor, Her Worship Elsa Paz, was a part of a Belizean delegation of Local Government representatives that travelled to the City of San Salvador in El Salvador on Friday December 9th, 2011. The trip was to represent the country at the regional Local Government meetings of the Sistema de la Integracion Centroamericana also referred to as SICA. Officially heading the Belizean delegation was the Minister of Local Government Hon. Gabriel Martinez. Over 120 mayors from different municipalities and cities from across Central America attended, as well as mayors from the Dominican Republic, which is a special observer to SICA were also in attendance.
In a press briefing on Tuesday December 13th, Mayor Paz explained that many issues common to San Pedro were discussed. “The same problems, like the issue of security, that we face here today affects municipalities in Central America and the Dominican Republic. We shared ideas on how we go about addressing these problems. I share the idea of the neighborhood watch program that has been very successful when it comes to the fight against crime in San Pedro.” According to Paz, one of the things that are different in municipalities in Belize from municipalities in other parts of SICA member state countries is that they are directly in command of the police force in their respective towns and cities. “In everything that happens in a municipality, the Mayor has to take the leadership. Here in Belize it’s different. Our law that governs us is different than other parts of region. We have no control over our Police, Fire and other Departments; that falls strictly under Central Government,” explained Paz
One of the things that Mayor Paz says other municipalities in the region use to address various issues is vigorous educational mass media and public campaigns. According Mayor Paz, SICA representative has offered technical support to the different municipalities in Belize.
Also forming a part of the Belize delegation was the Mayor of Belize City Zenaida Moya Flowers, Mayor of Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town Nicholas Ruiz and Mayor of Corozal Town Hilberto Campos.