Alejandro de León
Guatemala, Saturday May 24 2008

On Thursday night held a party at Casa de los Sueños, Antigua Guatemala. The activity was attended by representatives of various Guatemalan and U.S. companies. The reason: the bet that all of them have made for the archaeological site El Mirador, located north of Peten.

	The American Richard D. Hansen has been in charge of the work of the archaeological and wildlife preserve Mirador-Rio Azul in northern Peten, for 30 years. Photo: Moises Castillo

At the meeting, Jeff Morgan, executive director of the Global Heritage Fund (GHF), announced the investment of over U.S. $ 5 million in grants, along with the Foundation for Cultural and Natural Heritage Maya (Pacunam) for the Mirador Basin project. This amount will cover studies and project work over the next four years (2006-2010).

Companies that collaborate
PACUNAM is comprised of:
1. Cementos Progreso
2. Banco Industrial
3. Pantaleón
4. Wal-Mart Central America
5. Cervezeria CA
6. Disagro
7. Telgua / Claro
8. Citibank

The Mirador Basin Project Receives $5 million
GHF is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving archaeological sites around the world. Along with Pacunam, a foundation that brings together representatives from companies such as Cementos Progreso, Telgua and Banco Industrial, among others, GHF reached an agreement in which every dollar raised by Pacunam for Mirador Basin would be doubled by the U.S. foundation.

The contribution of U.S. $ 5 million, then, is a private sector initiative in Guatemala to boost tourism in the country and with this, improve the welfare of Guatemalans, specifically people of the Peten, without causing damage to biodiversity of the region.

This is consistent with the vision of President Alvaro Colom, who spoke of increasing the number of visitors to the site of El Mirador from 3000 people annually to 40 thousand. That amount of tourists would generate enough jobs for the communities living around the reserve.

The American archaeologist Dr. Richard Hansen brings nearly 30 years working in northern Peten in the nature reserve and archaeological area of Mirador-Rio Azul. This, according Colom announced a the Multi-Sectorial Roundtable last Tuesday, will be part of the archaeological park ‘Four Balams’.

Supported by GHF and Pacunam, the Mirador Basin Project is led by Hansen and co-led by the Guatemalan Edgar Suyuc. "The Mirador Basin supports the Government in its vision and will remain as a critical reference for the cities contained within the Basin," said Suyuc.

Hansen said they had been surprised by the announcement by the President to build a park with an extension that would be between 18 thousand and 22 thousand kilometers. "It's a fairly ambitious project, but that is good. We must aim high for success, "he said.

About El Mirador:
El Mirador is a city built during the period Preclassic Maya, a thousand years before Tikal.  It has the largest pyramid in the world and is considered the cradle of Mayan civilization.

Project 2010
Commitment to Preserve El Mirador

Nacionales  Lunes, 26 de Mayo de 2008 – Translation
Ligia Flores  lahora@lahora.com.gt

	Cristiane Junqueira of Pacunam shows the area covered by the Mirador Basin in Peten.

Annual revenues of U.S. $240 million were generated from arqueoturismo in Tikal National Park. That revenue could double if we expand the conservation and protection of the Mirador Basin, located 80 kilometers from the national park.

According Cristiane Junqueira, the Foundation for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage Maya (Pacunam) and Global Heritage Fund (GHF), together with eight private companies, gained a commitment to invest several million dollars during four years in order to establish the preservation of Mirador Basin.

"The support began in 2006 and will last until 2010. This is the first time that multiple large Guatemalan companies have joined together to form an association and to provide significant financial support and business for the conservation of cultural and natural heritage of Guatemala," said Junqueira.

This project is part of the park called "The 4 Balán" which recently was presented by President Alvaro Colom which will have an area of 20 thousand square kilometers. "The geographic region of the Mirador Basin is 3.3 square kilometers, so this will help with the overall vision of the country on conservation of nature and wildlife," said Jeff Morgan of GHF.

Multi-Sectorial Roundatable will Define Vision
The specific work to be performed including access, community development, infrastructure, security and services to visitors are not yet defined, reported Junqueira.

Currently there is a Multi-sectoral Roundtable, composed of representatives of the communities that inhabit the Basin, government authorities such as CONAP, Secon, and promoting organizations, who must agree on these decisions.
In Mirador Basin have been identified over 100 small cities and five are larger than Tikal, so the possibilities are endless to attract tourism, according to those who drive financial support.

Arqueoturismo
It is intended to boost arqueoturismo, integrating conservation and development activities, and work together with local communities to rescue archaeological sites. "The strategy of arqueoturismo in Tikal has successfully protected deforestation, illegal hunting of wildlife and looting," said Junqueira.

President Colom Presents Four Balams Project - Mirador

	"First we must strengthen the organization and institutionalization of the park to compete with Mexico." -- Alvaro Colom, President of the Republic of Guatemala.

In addition, the agent announces joint coordination to safeguard border security with Mexican authorities.

Increase of 300 to 4 thousand annual visitors to the site daily El Mirador, Peten, sounds very optimistic, but that is what you are looking for the construction of the archaeological park Four Balam, whose draft was presented by President Alvaro Colom to the Bureau Inter working in protected areas of the department.

In reality, it would be the largest archaeological area of Mesoamerica, it would have an area of 18 thousand to 22 thousand square kilometers and concentrate about 4 thousand buildings of the Mayan civilization, among pyramids, palaces, observatories and other monuments.

A first phase, the agent explains, includes the Sierra del Lacandón, Laguna del Tigre, El Mirador, Rio Azul, Uaxactún, Tikal and the village of Caramel, a forest concession. It was subsequently incorporated the ruins of Calakmul, in the Lacandon Jungle, located in Mexico.

The project, scheduled to take place within three years, requires as a first step, develop the central area and southern department of Guatemala's largest, in the areas of hotels and specific services for travellers.

"This would become something out of this world, but first we must strengthen the organization and institutionalization of the park to compete with Mexican brothers," says Colom.

According to a communique of the Ministry of Social Communication of the Presidency, the Bureau Inter, received with applause "the project.

They reinforce security
"For the first time in history, the Government of Mexico agrees to close the borders to strengthen security, culture and fauna," said the ruling by announcing an increase in border surveillance.

She adds that not only should concentrate efforts to protect the area of El Mirador, but all sites of pre-Columbian history. "Everything is in harmony with President (Felipe) Calderon," says. He announced also that material is prepared to "sell the idea" soon deputies and the Diplomatic Corps.

Ministers of Agriculture and Environment accompanied Colom for talks with entities working for the conservation of the Maya Biosphere, as well as those of Interior and Defense, to begin coordinating projects to increase security.

Project - Colom said that would generate income of more than three thousand tourists daily

By Hugo Alvarado and Rigoberto Escobar  - Translated

	Representatives from different sectors of Petén- Multi-Sectorial Roundtable - where the meeting heard the plan of the President Colom.

Government promotes archaeological megaparque
"I come to sell the vision we have to create the largest archaeological park in Latin America - Four Balam", explained yesterday President Alvaro Colom, in Peten, a multisectoral roundtable of stakeholders which is leading the project.

The Government is working on the elaboration and adoption of future archaeological park Four Balam, which will be located in the northern Peten and its benchmark will be the besieged archaeological Mirador Basin.

To raise awareness of the project, president Colom met with members of the Bureau multisectoral, which make up the 32 institutions, including representatives of civil society, government and NGOs, working in the conservation of cultural and natural heritage of this department.

The extension of the park would be between 18 thousand and 22 thousand square kilometers. In principle they had called Four Corners, but a park already exists with that name in Peru, so it was changed to Four Balam, in honor of the Mayan culture.

Colom explained that the project seeks to strengthen protected areas and biodiversity as a contribution to mankind to preserve the environment, before the problem of climate change in the world.

The bureau will have to discuss the feasibility of the proposal known yesterday.

Data cited by the agent realize that the project would generate about nine thousand jobs on a permanent basis and expect an income of national and foreign tourists, between three thousand to four thousand a day.

"I ask the green light to accomplish this project. I will not leave my position until that is a reality, "said the President.
Edgar Suyuc, director of the archaeological project of El Mirador, reported that the multisectoral has one month to deliver a concrete proposal announced presidential, but that is viable and can be approves. "It's a very big challenge, but if we reach agreement can be ready in July next, as suggested by Colom," he said.

If the proposal advances, the President has delegated responsibility to Eugenio Gabriel, who advises the Executive on four projects.

To preserve the natural and cultural area, the agent pledged to develop the central part of the department with infrastructure, public safety, promotion of hotels and in the southern part, seed production programs.

Colom explained that, if they sell well the project through a public private partnership, will achieve its resources. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Luis Ferraté, said that another of the ways to make sustainable the plan is the sale of carbon certificates.

The park will be located in El Mirador, where the highest pyramid in the Mayan culture is located - La Danta.
El Mirador was built a thousand years before and Tikal, with an area of approximately two thousand 200 square kilometers, is considered the origin and the heart of the Mayan civilization.

Edgar Suyuc, director of the archaeological project of El Mirador, reported that the multisectoral has one month to deliver a concrete proposal announced presidential, but that is viable and can be approves. "It's a very big challenge, but if we reach agreement can be ready in July next, as suggested by Colom," he said.

If the proposal advances, the President has delegated responsibility to Eugenio Gabriel, who advises the Executive on four projects.

To preserve the natural and cultural area, the agent pledged to develop the central part of the department with infrastructure, public safety, promotion of hotels and in the southern part, seed production programs.

Colom explained that, if they sell well the project through a public private partnership, will achieve its resources. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Luis Ferraté, said that another of the ways to make sustainable the plan is the sale of carbon certificates.

The park will be located in El Mirador, where the highest pyramid in the Mayan culture is located - La Danta.
El Mirador was built a thousand years before and Tikal, with an area of approximately two thousand 200 square kilometers, is considered the origin and the heart of the Mayan civilization.

Please direct media inquiries to: GHF Press press@globalheritagefund.org or (650) 325 7520

top