But Espat has no need to be defensive when it comes to Cayo South. It's considered one of the PUP's most invulnerable strongholds. But it is a village based constituency - 13 of them to be exact - and Espat is confident that his villages will stay blue in the upcoming election.
But, as viewers will remember, the Opposition UDP started to agitate last week during their press conference for the electorate to make a protest vote against the ruling government in the village councils.
We asked Espat about the opposition's no confidence strategy::
Daniel Ortiz
"Do you think that any of the voters within your constituency could be persuaded to make such a protest vote?"
Julius Espat - PUP Area Rep., Cayo South
"I'm not a magician. I don't predict. All I do is put in the work. We have put in the work, and we will be with our people, starting on Sunday. They will make the decision. If they believe we are doing a good enough job, they will elect us. If they believe that they want to do a protest vote, we welcome it because if they do a protest vote, then I would just have to put in more work to be able to assist them. The politics in the villages is different from the general election. Everybody in Cayo South knows that I only become political a couple of weeks before an election. After that, I serve everybody. And so, but it's democracy. And I would love to see the other side having more than five seats - I think for four because one doesn't come, four seats. We need a vibrant Opposition. Do you know, who is a shadow minister? Mr. Grijalva, the gentleman that destroyed the ruins of Orange Walk."
Daniel Ortiz
"The man's a pastor, sir."
Hon. Julius Espat
"I pray for him. [laughs] I do. I do."
