In light of recent revelations about the Centro Escolar Virgen de Guadalupe, it appears that TLAU will not be able to proceed as hoped. As earlier reported (see post January 22), the school needs two classrooms, an office, a storage room, and a small covered play area. But as always, TLAU and its officers must approach each project with a degree of caution commensurate with the trust placed in the organization by its devotees. Over a conference call in early February, Walter revealed that the land upon which the new classrooms would be built were in fact not in the name of the local bishop but rather belonged to a sort of government cooperative. The school assured us that they had signed an agreement with the cooperative effectively granting them ownership of the land, but it wouldn’t go into effect until after the classrooms were finished. Thus, if TLAU chose to improve the value of the land by constucting classrooms, there is a looming chance that third-world politics will run their course, leading said cooperative to reneg on their agreement and reclaim the land along with thousands of dollars worth of constuction.

The local bishop has been informed that TLAU will not proceed with any planning or construction until Walter sees the title of the land in the name of the diocese.