John Briceño Speaks on P.U.P.
John Briceño
Tonight, Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceño is in the spotlight following the leak of a private conversation recorded without his knowledge. According to a release issued by Briceño this evening, the conversation took place weeks ago between himself and two members of the Orange Walk East executive committee identified as Julian Chell Junior and Senior. The recording lasted for about an hour and Briceño touches on a number of issues as he listens to one of his former employees complain about being left out of internal party work. Briceño is heard encouraging him to work in the municipal election campaign. News Five has managed to obtain a copy of the recording in which, the former P.U.P. leader makes startling, but not new allegations against high ranking personalities within the People’s United Party. In the follow excerpt, Briceño explained why he stepped down as leader of the party.
Voice of: John Briceño, Orange Walk Central Area Rep.
“When I stepped down…I will tell you why I stepped down. It wasn’t because I was sick and it wasn’t because I was afraid of Francis, Said or Ralph or Mark…no one. I had all the strength. No one could challenge me because I had worked for it. But by 2011, the two-sides – Said and Mark – were at odds with each other. When I approached people who had money and asked them for help, they would turn me down. I had already spent three million dollars from my own pocket. Nobody else’s pocket; something that neither Said nor Ralph nor George Price had done for the party. And on top of that, I took out a loan for one million dollars for the Town Council Elections in 2009. Now every month, I donate to the P.U.P. fourteen thousand eight hundred dollars in order to pay the loan that I took out. And I can tell you all that I spent but at the end of the day, I decided to continue serving the party. But I could not continue spending my money or else I would bankrupt my business and my family. As you know, family comes first. So in order not to sink the party deeper, I made that sacrifice. Said, Ralph and Francis – they had a plan. They wanted to bring me down by criticising me in the National Perspective Newspaper. Three weeks after I stepped up, I was criticized by the same P.U.P. that you are talking about. That is the cancer in the P.U.P. that you should talk about. That’s the cancer that we have. That is the cancer that stole millions and millions and millions of dollars from the people. They stole tens of millions of dollars and I was honest. If there had been another leader, he would not have explained all of this. He would not have said what has happened in the party. Francis will put me as a back bencher. So why should I fight? And so I stepped down. But besides that, we could have still won. But they were not thinking strategically. They gave all the money to Julius. And what did Julius do? He spent all the money.”
Voice of: Julian Chell
“I agree with you on that. With that I am in agreement with you, boss.”
Voice of: John Briceño
“He took all the money. He spent it on himself and he won by one thousand votes. And we lost two seats by less than sixty votes – Cayo North East and Cayo Central.”
I am very disappointed on which the PUP is going. I don’t see any cure to the cancer very soon and I don’t see any light in the tunnel at all. I honestly believe, Hon. Francis Fonseca and his entire crew-musa, smith, julius ect needs to step aside if the PUP is to go on its political life. Fonseca is already a loooser!! I can see that this PUP is run by family members and wants the reign to remain in the family. Its a big,big,big mistake. The right thing to do is give up the reign and bring back Mark Espat to lead the party. He would be a great leader. I can see PUP is about to die very soon if chemotherapy is not administered very soon. All the caucuses should demand he step down immediately!!!!
One should never hang their dirty laundry in public. This kid sounds like a cry baby. He should get out of the kitchen if he cannot stand the heat. Politics is not a love affair. Apparently he is disparate in his effort to becoming the next PM.
It’s about time. Bravo, you should have done this a long time ago. This is the only way the Party will be able to heal and get this behind them, and move forward. Transparency is the only way. Honestly, the UDP is doing no better and that’s the truth, but the distrust the people have for the Msa/Fonseca PUP is why they do not go out and support. It is not that the UDP is winning per say. It’s just that the people of Belize who have no issue with corruption, as long as they are getting their crumbs, go out and support these tyrants. Said Musa, Ralph Fonseca, Dean Barrow, Jaspar Vega, Elvin Penner, Melvin Hulse, Patrick Faber, Sedi Elrington; they all belong in Prison. Any other country, that’s where they would be residing. At least inside the PUP they had checks and balance, members with conscience towards the people, who stood up (G7) against the corruption inside their own party. You do not see that in the UDP. They support one another and the corruption 100%. TODOS! They do not even support you all standing up for our sovereignty, much less stand beside you, at least.
Soo…
Where are the people that are always in here bringing down the present Govt. I guess you prefer these vultures to run the country.
I like your comment De!
So true. The only person in elected office who is delivering is the mayor of Belize City. He has his own problems too but he is working for the people and we can see that money is being spent where it should be spent. Unlike every other elected official the money is spent and there is nothing to show for it.
Johnny is the boss.he should be the next party leader.Damm cant everyone see that francis is a lameduck?he lost twice to johnny.PUP.Johnny should be the next party leader.he has proven himself.
So where is Rod??? LOL