Email

Print

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader
"I like Ivan Ramos and I care about him. I believe he is a good man who has made a terribly bad decision and I can tell you that the most frequent question I have gotten in the last 20 hours is it true that Ivan Ramos was paid to resign his seat. This is obviously just speculation, just and allegation, but it is a serious one."

Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga
(Laughing) "Oh boy, Jules I will just say that, you know I have learnt that when you want to justify your wrong, you arose to things like this. I don't know of myself as a greedy person. As I've said before, personally nobody can say to you that I have ask them for anything for me or cut a deal with anybody and things of this sort."

Reporter
"An email that you reportedly circulated to standard bearers and other party insiders in the meeting that your reports were he had accepted $250,000 and other things to step down."

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader
"I won't comment on any internal communication within the People's United Party between myself and standard bearers, but I have said that today that these are allegations. There is rampant speculations about this matter. I myself have said today that I have no evidence to support those allegations."

Jules Vasquez
"You are not the recipient of $350,000?"

Ivan Ramos
"Let me say to you that those who are saying that, let them bring the bloody evidence okay. As simple as that."

Mike Rudon, Ch5
"You've said that you like Ivan Ramos, but yet the party is striking/attacking within hours of him making an announcement, is attacking his credibility, his honesty, his integrity and this is his party. Is there any concern on your part that without evidence, based on just speculation the party would attack him so directly?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader
"What are we attacking? We have made a very clear statement today that we are disappointed with his decision and we are concerned about the rampant speculation surrounding that decision. In fact, if you want to be cynical, you can say he made his announcement to resign at a UDP sponsored event yesterday in Dangriga. It was Petrocaribe monies that paid for that event yesterday in Dangriga at which he made this announcement."

Jules Vasquez
"Have you received money in order to resign as area representative and trigger an election?"

Ivan Ramos
"Absolutely no okay."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, but this is the Leader of the Opposition, your former boss."

Ivan Ramos
"Then the Leader of the Opposition will have to justify it. I am saying to you, you ask the question that that is absolutely no true!"

Reporter
"Just to add to that, there has been absolutely no communication between you and anybody from the UDP party?"

Ivan Ramos
"No. I am hearing what you are saying that Anthony and my brother Chico have been negotiating for me and that kind of thing. I mean that's nonsense."

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader
"The same thing has been reported to me that there are recorded phone conversation between the brother of Hon. Ivan Ramos and Anthony Ramos and the chairman of the United Democratic Party, Alberto August. That is the report I have received, but I have as I've said, not in a position to verify that."

Reporter
"There has basically been talks coming from some of the higher ups in the PUP that you are one of the lead negotiators in getting Ivan Ramos $250,000 from the Barrow administration, from the United Democratic Party to step down as standard bearer. How would you comment on something like that? Have you had any discussion with the United Democratic Party or anybody from there?"

Anthony Ramos
"I would say categorically no."

Reporter
"So you have not spoken to anybody out of the UDP on behalf of Ivan Ramos, negotiating for a settlement for him to step down?"

Anthony Ramos
"I need not to. Ivan is his own man. And I can assure you he will make his own decisions."

Jules Vasquez
"I have to bring up this ugly thing again, but it's true. You have financial personal, not political, but personal financial issues. Your properties have been put in the newspapers. So when a man is in that situation..."

Ivan Ramos
"Well yes all that as I've said before has been brought into the picture. And Jules, just let me say while that was a personal situation, a banking situation, it's true, it's out there. The house has been put up for auction several times. That's true. If they sell the house, they sell the house. It is me that will lose."

Jules Vasquez
"However, you can see how in the mind of the average person a co-relation may be made."

Ivan Ramos
"Yes I could see how they will aligned that to it and try to co-relate that with. But I am not a desperate person. Jules, I will survive. I have to survive. I will do what I need to do, but I will not sell my soul. I want to make that very clear."