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Aragon Says Vega Is A Friend, But…
posted (September 7, 2017)
And while Elrington is somewhat removed from the Orange Walk scene, Elodio Aragon is directly plugged in. Since Vega's demise, he has taken up the role of the UDP's senior politician in Orange Walk. It has seen him assume a more central, national role, but today he seemed sort of divided on whether having Gaspar Vega back would be a good thing or a bad thing:...

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr.- Orange Walk East, UDP
"He's still a representative of the people of the north and I think that at the end of the day, the people will decide for him, so I leave that there."

Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"Ministers John Saldivar and Minister of State Dr. Angel Campus were there to support him. Why weren't you there then to support his candidacy or to support him generally?"

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well, first of all, Jules, from the information I had gotten with regards to the people going there, first and foremost, I spoke to him personally and I had asked him if he was organizing and he said no. All he heard was his people were going to come out to be with him there and I did not anticipate any announcement from him. So I did not make any plans to go out there. First of all, you must understand that I am the Minister of Home Affairs who is directly responsible for the police and we had a long and busy day yesterday. So I was more focused on that. And I will say this, I have never supported corruption, I'm not that kind of person. I am a person of integrity, I have been a serving member of the police department for many years as a police officer and I will tell you I have a good streak in terms of my integrity and I look to keep that good name. To say that the things that have come up affects the party or not, of course it affects the party but at the end of the day, he has a process to go through in terms of the legal aspects that are before and that at the end of the day will play out and of course his political aspirations, if he will continue or not, is up to him and his people."

Jules Vasquez
"But isn't that where the line in the sand is drawn for the UDP in so far as the deputy Prime Minister and Party Leader, Patrick Faber has said that he does not support corruption and he makes a sort of veiled suggestion that if you support Mr. Vega you are supporting that."

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well, Jules, you have to ask that to Patrick Faber himself personally what he means with regards to that. I can only tell you of Mr. Aragon. And I will tell you I have never supported corruption, I will not, but there is also personal things in terms of friendship."

Jules Vasquez
"Political party is a joint enterprise and the fact is right now Mr. Vega is hurting the UDP brand. The UDP brand is built on, they say, integrity and propriety in public life. Mr. Vega, in the public mind, is the antithesis of this. So at some point, you have to make a call and say, hear what, I noh gwen down with that."

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well, Jules, you know, in politics we have to be real. And yes whatever affects one member of the party it shadows over others, definitely. We are not here to say that the United Democratic Party is a perfect party, no. There are issues there. But when you compare the United Democratic Party with the PUP the difference is as clear as night and day. The only prime minister who has dealt with his ministers is the Hon. Dean Oliver Barrow."

Aragon did get support from the Vega's in his last campaign.

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