How could this have happened?
How could Brazos Abiertos, for four years, have misled people into thinking they were a legitimate charity, authorized by Mexican authorities to raise funds, and working in Mexico in full compliance of Mexican laws governing charitable organizations?
It is clear now that there was something very amiss with Brazos Abiertos. They never were able to give out tax deductible receipts that complied with Hacienda (Mexico’s IRS) regulations. They never were recognized as being a bona fide nonprofit by the S.A.T. (Servicio de Administracion Tributaria). They never had the building that reportedly acquired in 2007 in their name – three years go by and the papelitos are not in order? There were never any real services offered or provided – just ask HIV positive American expats who wanted to offer their years of experience as counselors, or ask the Mexican support groups that grew exasperated that nothing tangible was ever offered. Ask Vince Gricus or Jose Maldonado, just two people who are on record as pointing out that the Brazos Abiertos Emperor has no clothes.
The only thing Brazos Abiertos excelled at was – you guessed it – organizing events to raise more money for their make-believe clinic and their make-believe services.
Yes, it is true they did bring several dozen well-intentioned and naïve high school students whom they bussed to pueblitos where in their best High School Spanish tried to explain safer sex practices to townspeople who were more conversant in Maya than Spanish.
But it cannot be denied that Brazos Abiertos enjoyed credibility because credibility was conferred by credible organizations.
That brings us to Yucatan Today and YucatanLiving.com and the Merida English Language Library (MELL).
It’s one thing to deceive some expat who’s not familiar with Mexican law, but do Yucatan Today, YucatanLiving.com and MELL share any responsibility for the vast swindle that has apparently unfolded in Merida?
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