PROJECT FOR STRENGTHENING HYDROGRAPHIC CAPACITIES IN MESOAMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN SEA (FOCAHIMECA). May 2019.

Background In April 2014, during the VI Summit of Heads of State of the Association of Caribbean States AEC; the project of "Short Distance Maritime Transport“ was created. In January 2015, the Admiral Secretary of the Mexican Navy authorized to formalize the project with the Mexican Agency of International Cooperation for the Development (AMEXCID). The objectives of the project were: Integrate training programs on hydrographic technical matters Identification of sources of financing and in the management of financial resources to promote the acquisition and / or construction of vessels and hydrographic equipment. Organize training events, scheduled in coordination with International Organizations with hydrographic and maritime competence.

Participating Countries 1. Antigua y Barbuda 9. Granada 17. Panamá 2. Barbados 10. Guatemala 18. República Dominicana 3. Belice 11. Guyana 19. San Kitts y Nevis 4. Colombia 12. Haití 20. San Vicente y las Granadinas 5. Costa Rica 13. Honduras 21. Saint Lucia 6. Cuba 14. Jamaica 22. Sint Maarten 7. Dominica 15. Las Bahamas 23. Surinam 8. El Salvador 16. Nicaragua 24. Trinidad y Tobago 25. Venezuela

Activities performed 2015 Technical workshop to present the FOCAHIMECA project to the authorities in charge of official nautical cartography of 18 countries of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Sea, from December 1 to 4, 2015, in Mexico City and Veracruz. 2016 "Bathymetry in Shallow Water" Workshop, from April 27 to 29, 2016, in Ciudad del Carmen, held within the framework of the Third Mexican Convention on Hydrography. Workshop "Introduction to Bathymetric Data Processing", from July 13 to 15, 2016, in Veracruz, with the participation of representatives of 19 countries of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Sea.

Activities performed 2016 Workshop on "Maritime Spatial Data Infrastructure", organized in conjunction with the Capacity Building Program of the MACHC, from October 3 to 7, 2016, in Veracruz, with the participation of 32 delegates representing maritime authorities, port and hydrographic offices of 22 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean. Workshop on "Dissemination of Maritime Safety Information", from November 28 to 30, 2016 in Veracruz, with the participation of 19 foreign delegates.

Specialty of Hydrography In 2017 the scheme of training workshops changed to training through the Specialty of Hydrography and Cartography with a duration of one year in Spanish. The convenience of migrating to the Specialty, for the States participating in the project, is that they have personnel specialized in Hydrography who know and apply the hydrographic process, from the collection of bathymetric data to the creation of the nautical chart. Financing of AMEXCID: Round air ticket between the country of origin and the City and Port of Veracruz. Monthly living expenses. Medical assistance. Installation expenses (granted upon your arrival in Mexico). SEMAR support: Facilities. Instruction. Practices and workshops

Specialty of Hydrography Specialty of Hydrography and Cartography taught as part of the FOCAHIMECA project: 2017 - 2018 the specialty was carried out by 6 representatives from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. 2018 - 2019 the specialty was 2 foreign delegates from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. 2019-2020, 3 foreign delegates from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Colombia are doing the specialty.

Specialty of Hydrography El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panamá República Dominicana Colombia Rafael Antonio De León Granados Joaquín Antonio Juárez Arana Franklin Giulliano Ortega Lobo Rodolfo José Velásquez Tórrez Juan Carlos Kelso Rosas Carlos Valentín Espinal Rodríguez César Augusto Pulido Suárez Walther Quiroz González Wilfredo Amaurys González Guzmán Roger Alexander Valenzuela Jaimes Ismael Jorge Peña

PROJECT FOR STRENGTHENING HYDROGRAPHIC CAPACITIES IN MESOAMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN SEA (FOCAHIMECA). May 2019.