BCCI’s V.P. of Services defends Chamber President

Israel Marin

The Chamber’s Vice President of Services, Israel Marin, was also on this morning’s Open Your Eyes. He responded to government’s statement which questioned the loyalty of Chamber Executives and its President, Kay Menzies. That statement said that “the Chamber has never made official disclosure of the fact that its president was a Board Member of BEL appointed by Fortis to serve Fortis’s interest.” But according to Marin, Menzies has not attended any of B.E.L.’s board meetings.

Israel Marin, Vice President, Services Council, B.C.C.I.

“Our president was appointed to the board of B.E.L., but she has never sat in any of the meetings because she has just been appointed one month ago. Added to that, she did disclose to the executive board that she was representing Fortis in the B.E.L. Board. So that’s…”

Marleni Cuellar

“But she’d never been given the opportunity to sit in a board meeting as B.E.L.?”

Israel Marin

“No, she has never sat in a board meeting. Mr. Rene Blanco has been with the Chamber for twelve years and he has submitted his resignation three or four months ago due to the same issue; he felt that he did not want to bring the Chamber in that setting, being part of the executive. So he tendered his resignation for the same reason that he did not want to have a conflict of interest or overshadow the position of the Chamber in issues like this.”

Still yet, the Chamber says that as a responsible social partner, the way forward is for continued dialogue.