Last week, U.S. Ambassador Julissa Reynoso took part in the inauguration of a recently constructed community youth center in Santa Catalina, district of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Last week, U.S. Ambassador Julissa Reynoso took part in the inauguration of a recently constructed community youth center in Santa Catalina, district of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Funded under SOUTHCOM’s Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), the facility will be used by military personnel, community youths, and a vocational rehabilitation school for counseling and educational programs intended to help reduce the youth drug problem in Santa Catalina and surrounding communities.
This $550,000 facility includes a large outdoor gymnasium, a small multi-purpose indoor gymnasium, office spaces, and two locker rooms with handicap access.
It is located adjacent to the Santa Catalina Medical Clinic, which was also constructed and equipped with HAP donations. The community center is part of the broader U.S. Government effort to bolster humanitarian assistance and disaster response capacity in the region while strengthening democratic institutions and promoting defense cooperation.
During the past six years, SOUTHCOM and other U.S. agencies have donated $1.4 million to support disaster preparedness and more than $1.6 million for civic constructions in Uruguay.
Our congratulations for another accomplishment of the Humanitarian Assistance Program to help the new generations on prevention and health defense against the challenging drug trafficking actions that affects the Latin America population. SOUTHCOM has been performing a high range role on social and defense relations at the Latin American countries. With no doubt we are indeed a continent of youth, a human asset that needs to be respected by its leaders, needs education, and to be morally developed so its citizens may have a productive destiny with social peace.
Ney de Araripe Sucupira – Manager of the Boy Scouts Movement in Brazil/SP – Graduate in Scout Reservation /NJ /USA – Boy Scouts of America – 1966 This Youth Center which recently opened in the Republic of Uruguay should be replicated in many countries of Latin America, especially now that the population of neighborhood is so exposed to violence, illegal drug trafficking, dealing, and usage. The lack of working spaces, the negligence at home and the dysfunctional families are constant in these countries, therefore having recreational Youth Centers available should be a PRIORITY, my country Guatemala is demanding it, as well as the Central American region and further down South. Uruguay is and should be a role model.