The Office of the Prime Minister issued an unprecedented statement today - and it left almost everyone who's seen it either shocked or concerned for the PM's judgement. It's in response to a post made last night on Channel 7's Facebook page. It's a relatively minor story about Ms Universe Co-Owner, Mexican Magnate Raul Rocha who has been charged in Mexico with serious criminal offences. The story notes that in October of 2024, Prime Minister Briceno and a pair of ministers visited Rocha in Mexico City to discuss trade, tourism, and other opportunities between Mexico and Belize. It made no other allusions or inferences. Other media houses have since also noted the connection.
Well, the Prime Minister has lashed out - or more likely crashed out - with an unprecedented statement from his office attacking Channel 7's News Director Jules Vasquez.
The statement says - and we must quote it at length - "Prime Minister Briceño was part of an official governmental meeting with Rocha and others…to discuss opportunities for trade and investment. PM Briceño has participated in such meetings around the world….in his professional capacity." End quote.
From there, the release goes into a bizarre rant, saying, quote,
"The Office of the Prime Minister asserts that if Vasquez is indeed on the hunt for corruption, he need not look far. Prime Minister John Briceño also met with the late Nestor Vasquez, father of Jules, on numerous occasions. That certainly does not mean that he was connected in any way with the corruption perpetrated by Vasquez."
"The late Vasquez was caught embezzling funds from Belize Telemedia Limited, in corruption most foul. In fact, Jules Vasquez himself was implicated, because his father used his position at BTL to funnel exorbitant sums of money to Channel 7, a fact which certainly would have been known by News Director Jules."
And after that extended attack on a journalist, the release then goes on to say it, quote, "has no issue with the media, or with fair, factual reporting, even in those cases where it challenges the Prime Minister or members of the Government….."
And it ends with a catty flourish, offering:
"The OPM does take issue, though, with the skewed reporting and editorializing by the self-righteous, sanctimonious Jules Vasquez, who has no moral standing to speak on corruption. If these personal attacks without substance continue, the Office of the Prime Minister will seek every legal recourse available to bring Mr. Vasquez and his runaway mouth to account." End quote.
As we said, an unprecedented and bizarre attack. When we asked Jules Vasquez for comment, he would only say of the Prime Minister, "Is he ok?".
For a fuller response, you can catch that on the Monday Morning Beef in a few days.
We do note however that the PM's wildly irrational response comes one day after this newsroom emailed a Freedom Of Information request asking him and the FIU for details about Suspicious Transactions Reports from an Orange Walk credit union involving persons in his inner circle.
