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But first, the teachers strike continued today – and many parents who have kids at home learning little more than Sponge Bob’s latest tricks are losing their patience. Simultaneously, politicians from the ruling UDP are under increasing pressure to get things back to normal – because every day that the strike continues is an indictment against their governance practices.  Either of those two factors could have led to what happened last night: Otilio Munoz’s windshield was smashed.  He’s the president of the Orange Walk Branch of the Teachers Union and this morning he woke up to find that someone had done this to his windshield.  Union activists suggest that the UDP is behind it.  We asked Orange Walk East Area Representative Elodio Aragon about it today:…

Jules Vasquez
"There are suggestions, just like there were suggestions when Mr. Faber’s vehicle was set on fire, that someone sympathetic to the BNTU may have done that, there is a suggestion that the UDP loyalists are the ones who smashed Mr. Otilio windshield what do you have to say about that?"

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr. - Minister of State, Youth, Sports, Culture
"Well first of all I think it is a very unfortunate incident, for his windshield to be broken, for the DMP’s vehicle to be burnt, these are unfortunate incidents, incidents that should never happen because we live in a democratic country and people should be able to voice their opinions peacefully. This incident is unfortunate because it should never have been. When it comes to the UDP, I could tell you categorially, the UDP in Orange Walk have never met together to discuss what is happening with the BNTU teachers in Orange Walk. It is because we believe the teachers have a right to voice their opinions. It is now that we are seeing after 2 weeks in terms of looking at how our kids are out of school those are the things we as a have to grapple with as a representative because a lot of parents come to me and say Mr. Aragon what is the situation, when will our kids go back to school, and those are the issues I have concern with. I have always been in support of teachers because I think they have a right to voice their opinions but now we are reaching a point where if we go into a 3rd week, this will adversely affect our children who will not be getting their education and that is where I will have a concern with."

Jules Vasquez
"Have your constituents, I have heard of protests staged at schools in Orange Walk, have your constituents been part of these protests? Have you been encouraging them to go and protest against schools in your constituency?"

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr. - Minister of State, Youth, Sports, Culture
"I can only speak for my division, at this point in time I have not mobilized anybody because at the end of the time, I always believe that we have to give a way for peaceful negotiations, for amicable resolutions."

We note that there was a parent protest in front of La Inmaculada school today – which sources suggest had the involvement of Orange Walk North UDP activists.