And after the meeting, we also got to hear Julius Espat's side of the story. He denied any sort of racist undertones and would not agree that the tone of the comment was condescending. Instead, he told us that it was just a normal Kriol phrase.
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"I think you're wrong. I didn't make any racist and I'm not being disrespectful. I was just responding to accusations that were wrong and I wasn't given an opportunity to. I might have expressed it in an emotional way, but I was trying to based it on facts. That's an agenda by the opposition and they have to do what they have to do. That is democracy, I understand that."
Reporter
"It was being condescending though and it appears to be the norm."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"What is the meaning of condescending?"
Reporter
"That you are talking down to people. You have used jail bird before as well and react in a manner that other people react."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"Everything I have said is a fact."
Reporter
"Don't you think you should be better than they are?"
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"Nobody us better than anybody else, we are all equals."
Reporter
"You're not equals. You're speaking in a condescending manner to other members of parliament and the house speaker has a problem with it. You used the word "boy." She said going forward you cannot use it."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"That's a subjective opinion on your part, I respect that."
Reporter
"No, on her part too and she is the one who rules in there."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Are you aware of the history of the word boy as a term of racism and belittlement, you're a learned man."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"Everybody da fi we buoy, that is creole."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir when you refer to another man as a boy it is either because he is a slave or he da lee buoy to you."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"No, in Belize you go in any area and you say whe di go an my bouy. That's how we speak."
Reporter
"But that's not what you were saying in there, you have to admit."
Hon. Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
"Because in the house I can't speak creole, that's why I didn't say it in creole."
When we asked the Prime Minister about it outside, he gave the same interpretation - that it was a "kriol" greeting.
