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Saldivar Stunned by Coye Suit, Gives Emotional Interview
posted (September 19, 2014)
Claim number 518 of 2014 - that's the number of the lawsuit Melonie Coye and her attorney Eamon Courtenay have filed against Arthur Saldivar. She makes a claim for nine hundred and four thousand, seven hundred and forty dollars - which she says he was supposed to take to her home on June 12th, 2013 - but never did. The filing says, Saldivar, quote, "refused to return the monies…and instead has since kept it for his own use."

Now, we've been reporting on this pending lawsuit for over a month - and it was finally filed yesterday. So, it didn't exactly catch us off guard. But, very surprisingly, it does seem to have caught Saldivar on his heels. Today, his agents called us for an interview where he expressed, shock, disappointment, sadness, and yes, even tears, that it had come to this. We're sure you're saying, "tears?" That can't be Arthur Saldivar! After all, he's always so brassy, bold and often arrogant in his TV appearances. But today he showed a much more human side. It seems the weight of the lawsuit, combined with the symbolism of National Service Day, which is commemorate the passing of PUP founder George Price, had Saldivar in a pensive mood. And he shared his thoughts with us:

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"Having made known or notified of the existence of the filing I had to reflect on the fact that I did humble dedicated service for four and a half years to a client who I considered a friend. I certainly had no idea that this would have gone this far in relation to the client that I've served, so I certainly didn't expect this to happen the way it has in that I believed that ultimately truth will prevail, good sense and conscience and truth will prevent this from going to this extent. But I do look forward to my day in court to clear my name like my party leader wants me to and I say my party leader because ultimately Jules, George Price legacy is one of nation building, not of destroying, not of tearing down. My political mentor and almost my second dad Maxwell Samuels was faced with even greater trial in his life of service. We all know, it's well documented, but he never sought to do anything to harm the party. He accepted his faith and he did his best to continue to serve. All I ever wanted to do in my life from the time I was 7 years old, after meeting George Price after I was playing in the drain was do what he told me I would do, that I will help build and develop this country. If I stayed true and got my education and I did that. I look forward Jules to clearing my name. I repeat that and as you have said in your last interview and I reflected on that when you spoke of those in the executive who made the decisions that they have made, I thank those who stood up for me. I aim to make them proud of me and proud of the position. I also want to have those who did not support me there to appreciate that I forgive them. I don't hold any malice towards them and I will not do anything to harm the party's chances. I am asking all my supporters and my executive, PUP executive, the Belize Rural North to stand down, don't fight fire with fire. We are not of that ilk. The founding father of our nation of our party has always taught us that we were to always keep our houses business within the house. I don't want nor do I support the tearing down of the party and the social media. I will not do anything to encourage that and I am asking you to stand down from that if that is the position that you have taken."

"Jules, I am the son of public servants, I know what it means to struggle in life. I was not born with a gold spoon or a silver one. I cannot say that I have had it as hard as many, but I do know what challenges are. This is a challenge that I have to face now."

Jules Vasquez
"You are emotional, you have a heavy heart. Why is that?"

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"I've been known to have a big heart and....."

Jules Vasquez
"But I don't know you as a fragile guy. You and I have been through a lot. I've confronted you on many issues and you always taken it smilingly, but it looks like you got hit hard."

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"I believe in people. I believe in the decency of human beings. I believe generally that people are good and I believe in my client up until this filing. I don't know really what has caused her to abandon every aspect of good that I've shown to really reach a point where she would come to this to where we are now at and all we had to do to bring Melonie and her father to freedom - What's the price of freedom?"

Jules Vasquez
"$904,000?"

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"I don't have that. I wish I did."

Jules Vasquez
"You feel that your former client has betrayed you in a fundamental way, but it's like everybody had known this would have happen. It seems that only you thought it wouldn't."

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"I really didn't think that it was going to happen."

Jules Vasquez
"Really."

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"Yeah, I didn't. I believe that again, if you follow the history of the case, you would have known that I stood by my client through every trial and tribulation."

So, you did hear right: Saldivar told his supporters to "stand down." So does that then mean that he's walking back from his pronouncement made just two days ago that he would run as an independent PUP? It sure sounded like that! But for the avoidance of doubt, we asked the question squarely - and, eventually, he gave us a square answer:..

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"If it is the will and wish of the people to have me serve, I will serve, but it must be from the people. It cannot be from me. It's not my will, it's the people's will. That's the way Mr. Price have laid this party and set it up. That's the way Maxwell Samuels have taught me to follow - it's the will of the people always. The people of the Belize Rural North will make that determination. I will respect the party, I will not do anything to harm my party."

Jules Vasquez
"They won't have the chance, the executive has made the determination for them."

So, that's the state of play: Saldivar is wounded by Melonie Coye's lawsuit and he's not going to harm his party. But, after he told us all that, while clearly holding back tears - a strange thing happened: Saldivar asked us to turn back on the camera because he wanted to apologize for his rogue behavior which was captured in that viral video. You remember the one where he is seen using foul language and gestures to a resort owner in Placencia. Well, in his most emotional moment, he told us he let everyone down:..

Arthur Saldivar, Former PUP Std. Bearer - BRN
"A few weeks ago after a boardroom meeting was concluded at a resort in the south. I was captured on a phone making certain gestures and uttering words. I don't offer any excuse for what I did. I take responsibility for it. I disappointed a lot of people who know me to be better than that and certainly I was a disappointment to myself. After looking back at it, it was not something I should have done. I should not have done that, I should not have said those things. I want to apologize to all those people that I've disappointed by those actions, my teachers. In fact I met a few of my teachers when I went back to Belmopan the other day and they were not too pleased and I am always a student willing to learn and accept advice from my teachers. I apologize to them. I apologize to the Belizean people. It's one thing to be proud and strong, it's another thing to be disrespectful. I never want to come across as being disrespectful and I am sorry."

Pretty remarkable stuff, and now Saldivar says he will reserve comment until the Melonie Coye lawsuit goes to court.

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