Viewers may know Alfredo Ortega. He is the vice-chairman of the committee of management for the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, and he has been one of the mediators for the cane farmers whenever there is a breakdown in industrial relations with BSI/ASR. Well he dodged being sent to prison today after he managed to make a partial payment to Family court for arrears he owed to his ex-common-law wife.

In February 2004, the Family Court issued a ruling that Ortega should pay Alba Luz Galeano $30 every week for spousal maintenance. The family Court records say that he paid all the way up to November 2006, and for the next 8 years he let the arrears grow. The last check was February 14 of this year, and by their calculations, he owed $11,460 in maintenance.

That's when the court decided that a bailiff had to mark his belongings to be sold off as chattel to cover the debt, but it was discovered that he didn't have enough to cover the amount. That's when the sitting Magistrate issued a warrant for his committal in distress since February of this year. It was finally executed against Ortega, who told our colleagues from CTV3 News that he made a substantial payment toward the amount so that the warrant wasn't executed. He claims that he will make arrangements to cover the rest of the debt owed to this ex-common-law.

Had he been jailed because of this warrant from the Family Court, it would have been a particularly inopportune time for Ortega because he's getting ready to contest the convention for PUP standard bearer in Orange Walk North. That convention is set for this Sunday, where he's going up against fellow aspirant Ramon Cervantez.