The First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, the
\nUnited States and Canada are meeting in Santo Domingo over the next three days
\nfor the XII Conference of First Ladies, Wives, and Representatives of Heads of
\nState and Government of the Americas. The focus of the conference being held at
\nthe auditorium of the Central Bank is to launch a hemispheric strategy for youth
\nand the struggle against poverty. The conference is also intended as a forum for
\nyouth leaders from the Americas, who will identify the top health and education
\nissues. Included on the agenda of the first ladies is a welcome at the Hotel
\nEmbajador, reports Hoy newspaper, a dinner at the Presidential Palace, a
\nceremony to receive the keys of Santo Domingo from Mayor Roberto Salcedo, a tour
\nof the Colonial City and another dinner at the Museo de las Casas Reales. Named
\nparticipants are: Patricia Bird (Antigua and Barbuda), Graciela Bernadette
\nChristie (Bahamas), Beverley Arthur (Barbados), Joan Musa (Belize), Ximena
\nIturralde de Sanchez de Lozada (Bolivia), Aline Chretien (Canada), Lina Maria
\nMoreno de Uribe (Colombia), Leila Rodriguez de Pachedo (Costa Rica), Eudora Shaw
\n(Dominica), Ximena Bohorquez de Gutierrez (Ecuador), Lourdes Rodriguez de Flores
\n(El Salvador), Marietta Mitchell (Granada), Evelyn Morataya de Portillo
\n(Guatemala), Varshnie Jagdeo (Guyana), Mildred Aristide (Haiti), Aguas Ocana de
\nMaduro (Honduras), Lady Ivy Cooke (Jamaica), Marta Sahagun de Fox (Mexico), Lila
\nT. Abanza de Bolanos (Nicaragua), Ruby Moscoso de Young (Panama), Maria Gloria
\nPenayo de Duarte (Paraguay), Denzil Douglas (St. Kitts and Nevis), and Laura
\nWelch Bush (United States). Wives of attending prime ministers are: Eloise
\nGonsalves Nee Harris (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), Rose-Marie Belle Antonie
\n(St. Lucia), Liesbeth Venetiaan Vanenberg, Suriname, Oma Panday (Trinidad &
\nTobago). The first ladies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and
\nVenezuela will be absent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The First Ladies of Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada are meeting in Santo Domingo over the next three days for the XII Conference of First Ladies, Wives, and Representatives of Heads of State and Government of the Americas. The focus of the conference being held at the auditorium of the Central … <\/p>\n