Tonight, the Minister of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous People's Affairs is in boiling hot water after she was caught on an open mic hurling insults about Hattieville's chairlady.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia was in a Zoom meeting for PETAL's 10 year anniversary when she went on a rant to someone in her office - but didn't know she was being heard in the zoom meeting.
So everyone in the meeting heard what she was saying and someone screen recorded it. She is heard referring to the chairlady as a "wretch" and accusing her of wrongly allowing someone to get money from the BCCAT program. For context, we play the recording, which was posted on Facebook by the said chairlady, Sylvana Barrow.
Voice of: Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia
"Of a UDP chairperson of Hattieville put her on and she got money. Sylvana Barrow is a wretch. She is the UDP chairlady of Hattieville. She is the one who stoned Bernardo."
Host
"Can we get the mircophone turned off for Minister Balderamos Garcia please?"
Barrow, who has been the chairlady since 2019, explained to us today that the person Minister Garcia is referring to is her mother, a senior citizen who qualified for the program. She also told us that she felt disrespected when she heard what the minister, and a fellow woman, had to say about her, especially considering that she does not have a personal relationship with Garcia.
Voice of Sylvana Barrow, Chairlady, Hattieville
"When I saw the video I felt totally disrespected. It's funny its coming from a minister's mouth - this lady barely knows me. I haven't done her anything, but I realized that from the time she won the elections she is witch-hunting me or something, like she is obsessed with me. I don't know why she would call me a wretch. She is supposed to be empowering women, but instead she is bringing down me. She should feel shame of herself, because what she represents, she is not showing that at all. She is being the opposite. She is being the wretch."
Reporter
"And you're saying that this isn't the first time she has targeted you."
Voice of Sylvana Barrow, Chairlady, Hattieville
"No, when she won the election, she sent police at my house to try and take away the key from me for the center. Like for a whole weekend the police was harassing me. She find all kinds of ways to try get the key from me. I don't know why she is targeting me. I haven't done her anything. She doesn't know me personally to say like talk to me or what kind of personality I have or nothing to call me a wretch. And then she is making an allegation about me that I stoned somebody, some Bernardo Bennett. I don't know Bernardo Bennett."
Reporter
"And now this is affecting your mom, because she can't receive the help that she needs."
Voice of Sylvana Barrow, Chairlady, Hattieville
"Exactly. PUP says that they would be there for the people, but instead the minister who supposed to empower women she is bringing down women. She should feel ashamed of herself. To tell you I am at Hattievile minding my own business. I am doing my own thing. I don't remember how Miss Dolores look. Why would she have a conversation about me. The reason why my number is at human development is because the contact number for my mom because she is a recipient for the covid relief funds. My mom doesn't have a phone and she is a senior citizen, so they use my number to get to her and due to she have a problem with me, my mom was flooded out and got damages and Miss Dolores make it her business to make sure my mom doesn't get what NEMO had put her down for, just because of me."
Reporter
"And you say this is just a political thing."
Voice of Sylvana Barrow, Chairlady, Hattieville
"Yes, just because I am a UDP. Everybody knows I am a UDP, I am not ashamed to say that. I am the chairperson of Hattieville, the people elected me."
We reached out to the Minister via text, but up to news time she has not responded.
