Pennill was in the area today along with Minister Sylvia Flores. Flores met with the father and made a brief tour of the area meeting with some residents. She told us she was touched by the story and that is why she visited. Flores also said government or the system didn't fail Oscar, he community did.
Sylvia Flores, Minister of Human Development
"I feel that at such times parents are in such great grief and I felt I needed to share because as you know the families and children portfolio comes under my Ministry and I felt I needed to be in solidarity in terms of the support at this time."
Keith Swift,
Was Oscar given a fair chance at survival given that he was born in this neighborhood and the situation he was living in? Did he ever had a chance?
Sylvia Flores,
"You choose to be political and I'll probably have to answer you in a very political way. I started off by telling you no government will be able to answer to all the questions they are in terms of our development. Certainly this is a struggling economy but we have to look at the good as well and I think when my government says we are living in a good country, we have to believe that we are."
Keith Swift,
You're argument is that Oscar given where he was living in that he had a fighting chance and what happened to him isn't just a manifestation of this situation he was in.
Sylvia Flores,
"Let me just say this, I grew up in conditions of poverty, if you knew where I come from in Dangriga, and yet we did not downgrade as the way we do to kill one another. This is a child to child, I would want to think, situation. I understand that a young man has been apprehended and probably is being charged at this hour, a 14 year old with regards to this matter."
Keith Swift,
Do you think that the system failed both the accused and the victim?
Sylvia Flores,
"You know families and children come under my Ministry but all of us are responsible when you think about it."
Keith Swift,
Where do you think the blame lies?
Sylvia Flores,
"The blame lies on society. I am just repeating myself now but I blame society, all of us are responsible."
Antelope Street Extension is in the Collet Division and as we covered the story over the past week, residents have been complaining to our team about the lack of running water, electricity, and proper roads. Of interest is that to access his house, which was built on a swamp, 4-year-old Oscar Velasquez had to walk on a London bridge.
