PM Briceño, “You just can’t intervene before it is time.”

Prime Minister John Briceño

According to Prime Minister Briceño, the fact that both the B.S.C.F.A. and A.S.R./B.S.I. are private entities, he was limited in his intervention during the discussions.  He told reporters this morning that he was forced to wait until the appropriate time to take control of the situation.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Well, you just can’t intervene before it is time.  If I had intervened earlier on then one side would not be happy.  I, as I said over and over, these are two independent, private entities.  The government cannot get involved.  The government can assist and that’s what we were doing every step of the way, assisting them to try to come to an agreement.  I could not really intervene until really it was right up to then when I said, “Guys, sit around this table, we are going to work out an agreement one way or the other and nobody is leaving until we work out this agreement.”  Maybe that helped that we took that attitude and here we are we have an agreement.”

Reporter

“Did the initial breakdown of those negotiations, prior to your departure, would you attribute that to the Northern Caucus’ position because many say that their position was sort of contrary to what your position [was.]”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think we need to understand that the Northern Caucus is a political arm, it’s not a government arm and as political arm, they have the right to say whatever it is that they wish.  So they are a political arm, we are the government, so obviously, they have a lot more leeway in whatever it is that they want to say.  But I am very grateful to the Northern Caucus for the support that they have given me in helping me to be able to find a compromise between both sides.”