translated from Spanish: Looking for funds for young people to go to Mathematical Olympiad

The Mexican Mathematical Society organizes a fundraiser to send the Mexican team to the International Mathematics Competition (IMC) in South Africa, as they point out that the resources that the CONACYT has so far given them are Insufficient, and there is no other governmental authority to support them.
This association, which makes national competitions of the area and prepares students for International Olympics, affirms that it is necessary to cover the expenses for the Mexicans who will attend the international competition of mathematics, in South Africa, to be held in August of this year.
The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) gave them in April a 1.6 million pesos, but SMM says that these resources represent a 35% of what was delivered last year (4.5 million pesos), and that are insufficient to go to the competition.
The Association affirms that this money was already exercised and that it was used in travel expenses and trainings of the Mexican Olympiad of Mathematics, besides operative questions, scientific publications, divulgation, Congresses and Web pages.
In addition, it accuses that the agency’s call originally requested that the resources be used for the first half of the year, although by signing the Convention the Agency approved that expenses for all 2019 be justified.
“Mexico has the commitment to participate in the BMI to be held in South Africa, but we have not been able to pay for the plane tickets, which rise in price every day,” explains in an interview Dr. Luz de Teresa Oteyza, president of SMM.
“Sometimes the sub-Secretary of basic education of the SEP has paid us the plane tickets, but this occasion has not received us,” he says. He explained that even if they attend a new call for CONACYT to obtain more resources, they would no longer receive money to participate in the competition in South Africa. 
According to Teresa Oteyza, a round trip to the country is at about 2.600 dollars, and the entourage is made up of 12 people: four juniors of primary level, four of high level and four professors. “Although we decided not to send a third team for austerity policies, we didn’t cover the total.”

The Pending competitions
Mexico participates in the International Mathematics Olympiad since 1988 and currently has a presence in seven international math competitions – two of them are remotely – for young pre-college students.  
Attendees to these competitions are selected by the Mexican Mathematics Olympiad, an SMM program, which performs an assessment to young people from each state of the Republic. The 16 people with the highest qualifications in the contest receive special training for several months.
At the 8TH European Women’s Mathematics Olympiad, held in Kiev, Ukraine, from 7 to 13 April this year, four young Mexican women won a gold medal, two silvers and a mention.

Gold medal in the #EGMO2019 for Mexico!
We obtain 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals and 1 honorable mention. By country, place 10 of 49 countries, a great result. Congratulations to the Mexican team!
— WMO (@ommtw) April 11, 2019

Although the association also receives private funds, Teresa Oteyza notes that the austerity policies of the Mexican government have hindered the operations of the Organization, and imply a risk for participation in the competitions.
Last week, the newspaper The day He reported that a teacher named Blanca Valadez told President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador the withdrawal of scholarships from CONACYT.
“Why did you take our children to support the Math Olympiad?” asked Valadez, to which the president said it was a mistake, and assured that he would investigate the case.
In this regard, Teresa Oteyza said that the woman who questioned the president is not part of the association, and reiterated that Conacyt gave them 1.6 million pesos, although “there is a great confusion. The money delivered by the government is for all SMM. ”
In addition to the Mathematics Olympiad of South Africa, Teresa Oteyza’s doctor points out that the organization of the Iberoamerican Mathematics Olympiad is still pending, in which Mexico is organizer this year, to be held in the city of Guanajuato in September, And that will have the participation of 22 countries.
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Original source in Spanish

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