Last night we showed you Sunday's encounter in Trial Farm Village between UDP candidate for Orange Walk Central Rosendo Urbina and Orange Walk TV reporter Jorge Aldana.
For those not familiar with the northern media landscape, Aldana is a television reporter for CTV-3, and a talk show host on Fiesta FM, both Briceno owned stations and a decidedly political media outlet. Urbina is Briceno's challenger in Orange Walk Central. So, politically, the stakes are definitely high and yesterday afternoon, Aldana made a complaint to the police, claiming that he had been slapped, and this morning, Rosendo Chendo Urbina was charged for the assault. It created quite a scene outside the police station and our affiliates at Northern Cable Network captured it all.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Just after 9:00, Rosendo Urbina is seen here leaving the police station and explaining to a crowd what happened in Trial Farm on Sunday. Inspector Leslie Logan very nicely asked them to clear the entrance and the crowd moved on, commending the police. Urbina's point man is Orlando Burns.
Orlando Burns,
"The police are trying to handle this very case, they are trying to treat us right. They are asking us to please leave here because the people are assembling. They told us they had specific instructions from Belmopan and they are just carrying out their duties."
And as Urbina and Burns moved of a crowd of supporters did gather across the street led by UDP's northern commander deputy leader Gaspar Vega. Urbina gave his side of the story.
Rosendo Urbina, Charged for Assault
"Somebody pointed out to Aldana me, this little boy Jorge Aldana and I decided to approach him and shake his hand. But then they were pushing the camera so with my hand, I raised my hand up and I pulled the camera to move. And then I talked to Jorge Aldana and I told him I am here so tell me what you have to tell me. I said to tell me everything you say on the radio and the guy he turned red and his lips began to move so I decided that he was frightened so what I did is I decided to draw back and that was about it that happened. It was witnessed by a lot of people and I know as far as I know that I didn't touch the guy but he says that I touched him so we'll see in court what happens.
I wouldn't lie and say I did not slap him when I slapped him. I am saying that I did not slap the man and I know for true that I did not slap the man. A lot of people are telling me that I should have slapped him. I don't who could think I could become that violent. Usually I am not a violent person."
Not violent, but says this has made him politically aggressive.
Rosendo Urbina,
"As I told Johnny Briceno, I am willing to go jail, if anything, to save my country. One thing I know is that he has given me courage to campaign much harder. That is what he has given me right now and that is what I will do. Johnny, if you are hearing me, please go house to house because I will intensify the house to house campaign."
And in a clarification of what we ran last night when we said that Urbina had slapped Aldana, what we ought to have said was that Aldana reported that Urbina had slapped him. The tape of the encounter is at best inconclusive - and as you heard Urbina say, he was moving the camera from in front of him. Differing accounts, and now the court will decide.
