Orange Walk journalist and talk show host Jorge Aldana was assaulted again today. We say again because viewers will recall that in March, he alleged that UDP candidate for Orange Walk Central Rosendo Urbina had slapped him. Urbina denied that claim and pleaded not guilty. The matter is still before the courts. Aldana, as we've noted works at the radio and TV station owned by PUP deputy leader John Briceno's family. And this morning Aldana was the victim of a serious assault and beat down. He was walking to work to host the morning show on the Fiesta FM morning show. He says he was behind the hospital when two men ambushed him.
Jorge Aldana, Assaulted
"I felt that someone hit me in the face and then I feel like someone knocked me with something across my ears and I feel to the ground and that's where they finished beat me and kicked me up on the ground. I do believe Jules that it is not their doing, I believe it was set up by someone."
Jules Vasquez,
You believe its politically motivated?
Jorge Aldana,
"I do believe it is politically motivated. I have been receiving threats. I have received two written threats stating that they were going to kill me. They always call the show and text me and so forth."
Jules Vasquez,
Did they say anything, did they actually give any reason for this?
Jorge Aldana,
"Well I will tell you exactly the words they told me, 'say what you have to say now, say what you have to say because I will [expletive] up.' That is exactly what both of them told me. What is scary about the situation is that the politics is getting out of hand to a certain extent. Whenever you have physical confrontations like this, then you start to worry because you don't know what is next and I do know that for my safety, I am scared about what happened but in morale wise, I don't think they will break my morale."
Jules Vasquez,
Jorge will you stop doing what you are doing?
Jorge Aldana,
"I will not, I will not stop. I will not stop and I will not allow anybody to force me to stop my job. I love my job and I will continue to do what I am doing."
Jules Vasquez,
A cynic would say you're making it up or that it is not a politically motivated thing, you might have had personal beef with somebody and you are just trying to put it into a political light because you are a political person and you work for the deputy party leader of the PUP.
Jorge Aldana,
"I will agree that people in the UDP would say that it was something else and I am plotting this but I know the person, I know where the person works, and I know who he works for and I know the type of person he is."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel deep down that other journalists will try and distance themselves and say well he is political, he works for a political station, he works for a station that is owned by a deputy party leader of the PUP, so he is not a journalist so the body of independent journalists in Belize don't have to run to your rescue, you're political, you're not a journalist.
Jorge Aldana,
"I would say they would be mean to say so Jules because at the end of the day I cooperate to inform the Belizean public as to what is happening. We at Centaur, we are yes owned by a politician, but at the same time we share information with Channel 7, with Channel 5, with Amandala, with the Reporter, with all newspapers. At the end of the day we are one body, we work to inform the people. It is mean to a certain extent and I think it is wrong to say that because I work at a PUP station I am a PUP and I am supposed to be punished. I don't think that is right."
UDP associate Mark Hemsley has been arrested and charged for wounding and theft. Theft because Aldana claims that they also grabbed his phone.
