As we said, many of those taking the oath of office today are first timers to elected office and to the Cabinet. And none has had a more meteoric ascent than Gaspar Vega, with just his first win at the polls, he is Deputy Prime Minister. It took Dean Barrow 9 years after his first win to become deputy, John Briceno, 5 years and Vildo Marin 18 years. But like instant good karma, Vega is at the number two spot. But it’s also a hotspot because the Deputy Prime Minister is also the Minister of Natural Resources. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Lands Department was chaotic. Deputy Vega has the job to sift through all that carnage and he discussed the job today.
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister
“We must build on a relationship where there will be mutual trust and respect so that we can clean up the mess in that ministry. Everybody is telling it is supposedly the worst Ministry in this country at this time. I am going to work hard to make sure that is not so in the next five years.”
Jules Vasquez,
I am told that a lot of irregularities were occurring. In the days before election people were receiving titles without surveys ever having been done and it is not really the people’s fault. A lot of time it is small people, poor people who just want something from the government before their term elapses. Should those people be in fear right now because they have a title perhaps without all the paperwork?
Hon. Gaspar Vega,
“Jules if after we make the reviews and people that deserve the land, even though it was done improperly, we won’t be doing anything about that, I am certain. What we will be dealing with or looking at very hard is people that abuse the system, people that got hundreds of acres of land like in the islands or thousands of acres and people that just get land to speculate. Definitely that is what we are looking at.”
Jules Vasquez,
Your ascent to the Deputy Prime Minister has been, I believe in this nation’s history, the fastest. This is your first election, your first victory, your general election and suddenly you are Deputy Prime Minister.
Hon. Gaspar Vega,
“Jules like I said, I am not in no way feel any different than before. All I feel like is I have an opportunity to help a lot of people, that is my priority.”
