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Today, the Deputy Leader of the PUP Julius Espat held a press conference at the Party Leader's Office to say, basically, don't believe the hype:

Jules Vasquez Reporter
"At least four members, and I know that there are many more, are saying that 'we won't vote, we will vote against paying this.' How do you view that as a member of parliament yourself?"

Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Deputy Leader/Cayo South Rep
"Very responsibly. I kind of briefed through what a couple of them said. For example honourable Finnegan is going after the CCJ. Please be reminded that the Prime Minister's brother sits on the CCJ and that's our ultimate court. And if a member of parliament is totally disrespecting a decision of the international court- well, not only one, four international courts- then I believe that is an irresponsible statement to make. Now what is the problem of this decision of going to parliament and saying that you won't pay, a part from the semantics and what they will preach and everything? What signal are you sending in the foreign market with foreign direct investors that you are mal pago? What signal are you sending?"

Jules Vasquez
"How would you vote sir?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"I am of the opinion that we have to be responsible and if you owe somebody you have to pay them and we have to pay them back. It has been proven in the past that by not paying we are now incurring serious additional costs going up to, I'm looking at the numbers, close to $700 million that we have to pay because we refuse to pay from the initial stages. You have to understand, you make an agreement with a man, he has all the protection of the courts as is quite obvious to us. He went to the London Court of International Arbitration and he won. He went to the Supreme Court of the United States, he won. He went to the Privy Council, he won. And now he went to the CCJ and he has won. Guys, I've said it before, we have to get this boggy man off of our shoulders, it's too burdensome for the people of Belize. And what games are we saying now? That we won't pay again? You know, in two years' time when supposedly the PUP comes in to government and in they don't pay this, you know how much that will incur in interests alone? Approximately $30 million on top of the $90. But I can guarantee you Jules that in the House of Representatives when the time comes for the vote all of those UDP will get up and raise their hand and say 'I.' they don't have a choice."

Jules Vasquez
"So you are saying all of this is diversion and gamesmanship."

Hon. Julius Espat
"It has always been."

Jules Vasquez
"But sir, if they don't vote with the Prime Minister…"

Hon. Julius Espat
"Jules, I am telling you, don't change the whole scenario. They will have to vote what Dean Barrow tells them to vote."

Jules Vasquez
"If they weren't to vote, will it be like a vote of no confidence?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"Well then we have to change government and we go to an election. You understand the situation that they are in? They don't have any way out of this. They could say all they want. They are trying to preach to their constituents and say, 'O, I'm not with that.' They don't have a choice and I will be proven in the House of Representatives in December and I hope that you are there to witness it."

Jules Vasquez
"As a business minded individual, it has to pain you reflexively when you see that $90 million has to be paid but there is no asset. The asset is happily owned and operated by other persons working for a profit with no benefit whatsoever to the government."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Yes, that's painful but that doesn't stop the fact that you have to pay. Boss, if you make an agreement with the bank and you make a wrong business plan and you erred in your business plan, the bank doesn't care. It's a cold life out there. Once you sign an agreement, you have to pay. Those are the rules of engagement, why are we fooling ourselves? Let's make it clear, Dean Barrow has painted that he is a nationalist from 2008 and all the decisions that he has made has us in the whole $700 million. Is that being a nationalist? Let's be real Jules. It's a game but it's a game with your money not their money. If it was Dean Barrow's money you wouldn't be here in the hole."

Jules Vasquez
"But is it the unified position of the PUP that the debt is owed, it must be paid and be over with it?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"I would like to think so and I will fight for it to be so but we haven't met to make a final decision on it yet but I can nearly guarantee you that it will be so."

Somewhere in that wide-ranging, occasionally rambling 35 minute press conference, we did ask Espat about the original sovereign guarantee that former Prime Minister Said Musa gave to Universal Health Services - which has now led to this 90 million dollar award:

Jules Vasquez - Reporter
"These people are PUP's sir. That is why they got…If you can't get a sovereign guarantee for your business..."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No, and I would not sue for either."

Jules Vasquez
"Of course, so it is immoral for that to happen."

Hon. Julius Espat
"I have never said that the sovereign guarantee is a positive thing. Listen to me, I have always said that I would not have done it, I would not advise for it to be done, but I was not there either so I have nothing to do with it. But you have to understand before the United Democratic Party took government, that was settled. It was settled. Good or bad, it didn't have a financial burden as it right now has on the people of Belize. It was Dean Barrow's decision, when he came in, to open the ants' nest."

Notably, while the press conference happened at Leader John Briceno's office, he was not around, so we don't know for sure what his vote would be.