Julius Espat Reiterates Position on Use of Petrocaribe Funds, “It’s Wrong”

Julius Espat

The debate on the use of Petrocaribe monies continues to rage on in the political arena. For the UDP, which has composed songs to that entity, it is a good thing…a god-maker…probably the best thing ever. The PUP has no access to the bounty, and is fighting an uphill battle against an incumbent fuelled by Petrocaribe. PUP Deputy Leader Julius Espat, also the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, has been one of the loudest voices against how the money is being spent. So he was especially incensed over the Petrocaribe-sponsored Patrick Faber Pibil fest in Corozal recently. Espat says his stance on using the Petrocaribe money for any cheer whatsoever is the same as it has always been.

Julius Espat, Deputy Leader, PUP

“I think it’s wrong. You see, Belize is a developing country with scarce resources, and we have very important things that we need to address, and the little money that we have we should be investing in our people, in health, in education and in ways to uplift our people – educate them, give them a better hope in life, not go for a little vacation for a day, because you spend $25,000 for a day and after that day it’s over. We are losing so many things in this country now. We are losing our Christian values. We are losing our moral values…we are losing what it is to be a country. We are losing everything. Now we are losing maybe even our sovereignty because right now Venezuela is basically paying off all the Caribbean nations and then they are trying to annex Guyana. What will happen with us? We can’t stand up and seh Caricom that is wrong – tell Venezuela to back off. We can’t, because we have prostituted our country. This government has prostituted our country to the point that we cannot make a stance about our sovereignty and to be able to protect another nation that is part of Caricom. That is to the effect where we are right now. And that is why I am saying at the end of the day it is all a game. It is a political game. It is a game. It is prostitution and that is seriously wrong.”