But, not surprisingly, the UDP has heard enough to call for Minister Perez to resign and to be investigated. Now, we should note that it's very hard for either mass party in Belize - particularly the UDP - to assume the moral high ground on matters involving the mistreatment of women - but today the party Chairman waded into the dispute in a press briefing via zoom.
Here's how he made his case today and the back and forth that ensued:
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"The prime minister was informed by a legal professional that they were in fear of their safety, that they were threatened purportedly and he only called the minister 2 weeks after that to verify. The prime minister was informed of certain behaviours by this individual and from what I was told certain unwanted photographs and messages that were sent to people."
"We believe that if someone feels threatened there needs to be a serious investigation and its a hell of a mess. There is the talk of blackmail, there is the talk of being a sexual predator, about threat of life. I mean it is a hell of a mess and we must as members of the national assembly carry ourselves a certain way whether in our professional or private lives."
"I mean the leader of the opposition wrote a letter and that have the privileges committee scrambling to try and have him drawn quarter and hound at Bridgefoot. I mean and something happens like this and we don't hear anything. We don't hear that cry; we don't hear that urgency. These people who are saying that they feel threatened or aggrieved or a crime was committed against them, they need to formalize their complaints with the police. They need to do that, but in the meantime with the way we are supposed to carry ourselves, code of conduct, decorum, I think it is only right that the minister resigns from the cabinet, step away and seriously consider resign his seat from the national assembly."
Renee Trujillo, Reporter
"Mike, but are you being hypocritical or are you calling for standards to finally be enforced when it comes to elected members, because this is not the first time an elected representative has been embroiled in some level of scandal. You've had on your side as well."
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"You know my position when a member of my party was in a situation right. You know what I said. You know what my position was and it would be very hypocritical of me to not call for the resignation for one of my own and not call for the resignation of a member of the PUP."
"What I am saying is that the government is being hypocritical. BNN, the Special Envoy for Women and Children, because when certain things happen, you jump up and they are at the forefront, but with this they are absolutely mute. They say nothing. They have nothing to say. They talk about decorum when the leader of the opposition writes a letter, where you have a man pull out his and send a picture and then nothing. I mean come on. There is a double standard here."
Jules Vasquez
"However, in the case of the leader of the opposition Shyne Barrow, it is incontrovertible that he said some very harsh and unparliamentary things to the speaker, but in this case, there is some dispute as to which of the parties is truly aggrieved or which is the victim and which is the perpetrator. So there is not that level of clarity. So it's a false equivalency."
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"Even if it's not the same in terms of clarity, I would suspect that you would much prefer to be written to and however harsh that may be, written to, rather than attacked sexually potentially, rather than be threatening potentially. I don't think that it compares at all, at all, at all."
Jules Vasquez
"It is apparently one of those situations where both sides are making credible allegations of harassment on one side, extortion on the other. Isn't it a situation best left alone or upon which you may not want to hastily cast judgement since there are complicated nuances."
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"I am not casting judgement on anyone. I'm saying when you are in public life, when you hold the position that the minister holds, you have to be beyond reproach in so many years."
"The best thing that you should do without impugning any guilt towards anybody to say look, to not cause a distraction to my country, to not cause a distraction to the people who I serve, let me step aside from this and deal with my issue first and if I am proven to be correct and innocent, well then you come back into the fold. But in the meantime, with this hanging over his head why would he even wanting to be serving in any capacity when he has this to deal with. Leaving it alone if it's just a personal family matter, I can understand. But when you're talking blackmail, you're talking extortion, you're talking sexual harassment - that can't be left alone. That has to be investigated."
Jules Vasquez
"There are talks of a settlement or a possible settlement and that the settlement of the matter may involve the awarding of certain lands and you know lands are the sole domain of the state of Belize, but it seems that that is the in the mix of all the talks that, well you know we can settle this if certain lands are given or something like that. Is that a concern for you that the whole issue of sovereign land my be brought in to settle a private dispute."
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"That must be a rhetorical question, Jules, because clearly yes. And this is what I am saying. If it were strictly a personal matter then that's one thing, but we're not talking about strictly personal civil matters, we're talking about criminal activity potentially. You're talking about sexual harassment, blackmail, extortion and now you are talking about corruption, malfeasance in public life. So it is not limited to just some okay, if there was information sent between 2 consenting adults and whatever they did between 2 consenting adults - as I said before, the UDP is not interested in that. We're interested in when public assets are at play for private matters."
We did reach out to Minister Perez for comment - but he only said "thanks".
The UDP National Organization for Women put out a statement today calling for the immediate removal of Minister Perez from Cabinet.
