Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On Wednesday, Puerto Vallarta Mayor Ramón Guerrero Martínez welcomed the youth volleyball teams from Colombia, Chile and Peru that competed with local students and athletes in the Encuentro Amistoso de Voleibol de Playa (friendly meeting of beach volleyball) that was organized by the city as part of the IX Pacific Alliance Summit.

The exhibition games were held on Wednesday and Thursday on the State Pension land across from the Agustín Flores Contreras Sports Stadium, and were enjoyed by fans who came out to support local teams and watch our youth strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the Pacific Alliance countries.

In his welcoming speech, the Mayor said that this kind of event not only promotes cooperation and friendship, but also strengthen ties between Latin American countries and Puerto Vallarta, one of the most important destinations in Mexico.

"Puerto Vallarta is reinvented every day thanks to our visitors. This reinvention requires an enormous effort and we will continue to improve our city day by day so it can be everything a world class destination should be, offering our visitors the best experience, and from there offering Mexico, and the world, the best city, the best destination," said the Mayor.

He also noted that while this economic and competitive alliance that has been forged between Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru, represents "an economic force in Asia - Pacific to compete with the world" it also shows the noble, caring side and the ability to promote the integration of these nations through sports.

"So today I want to say that Puerto Vallarta is proud to welcome you to our home, to our municipality; for today we take pride in our state and federal governments for not only encouraging sports and taking them to a higher level in our country, but more importantly, for strengthening the bonds of friendship with the countries of Latin America," he stressed.

The opening ceremony was attended by Director of the State Council for Sport Development (CODE) Jalisco, André Marx Miranda; Roberto Moar Rivera of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Agency for International Development Cooperation; Olympic medalist Fernando Plata Alvarez; and the President of the Sports Institute in the state of Nayarit, David Aguilar.

After the formal ceremony, the Mayor and attending authorities congratulated the Vallarta athletes for their achievements in the last Olympics and National Paralympics, recognizing the efforts of this group of young athletes, whom he encouraged to continue competing and winning new triumphs.