José Abelardo Mai Says Cabinet Resignation Was Voluntary

Former Minister of Food Security, Agriculture and Enterprise José Abelardo Mai has spoken publicly for the first time since stepping down from Cabinet on November 17. Amid continuing public speculation about the circumstances surrounding his resignation, Mai maintained that the decision to leave Cabinet was entirely his own and that he was not pressured or forced to resign by any person or authority.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative: “I wrote to the prime minister asking him to kindly relieve me from ministerial duties in order for me to seek medical attention from my spine. Who wants to believe if I am sick or not, it’s their business. I’m not saying this to convince any of them. I need to take care of my health first and my constituency and my family. So I had to make that decision. I’m feeling okay, it could be better. Given all the scandal I have to keep optimistic. I have work to do in my constituency and I have to keep focused. And so I have to not worry about all the noise in the market and all the Facebook claims. Some have been very, very rude, some have been very mean, but that’s expected. That’s human behavior. I used to oppose the UDP a lot when I was in opposition, so I expect them to do the same. But some people have been extremely offensive, extremely provocative, extremely disrespectful. I think people don’t understand what someone is going through when they are ill. I’ve seen the Former Prime Minister Dean Barrow sit in his chair and just twist around with pain. I never expected… I didn’t…you can’t believe the level of pain that he has. Fortunately, I can still move around a little and just manage what I’m doing. But like I said, I’m feeling good. I could be better, but why complain? By the grace of God, this will pass.”

Mai also addressed widespread confusion concerning his health, clarifying that the explanation previously given by Prime Minister John Briceño did not accurately reflect his medical situation. He noted that he had already undergone one surgery but still has further medical procedures pending.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative: “The Prime Minister gave an explanation earlier, which was probably not too accurate. Maybe I should correct his statement. In May of this year I had surgery on my shoulder. I had an incident on my farm, dislocated my shoulder and I ripped one of the ligaments. So I had surgery for that on the 3rd of May, on my birthday actually in Merida. My spine is a chronic matter. It has been there for years, I believe, and the older you get the more severe it becomes. So it is a chronic situation that needs surgery. Now I have to decide when I want to do it and I’ve selected this time to do it. To be honest, I am still looking at advice which is the best place to do it. L5 S1 is where I have the biggest problem where there is no disc anymore. The medical term is desiccation. It’s desiccated, I think it’s dried up, I think that’s what it means. and I have L4 and L3 that are herniated so I have three areas. The one that gives the most trouble though is the L5S1. Now, this is the doctors are telling me this. Dr. Barnaby Carrillo who has done another study for me at the clinic in Belize City is referring me to his colleague, Guatemala. I understand his colleague also practices in Houston and others are saying, well, the best place for the type of surgery is Germany. I do not know yet. I have to make the determination where it’s going to be done. And of course, the cost and all the time I will be out of office. The three doctors I have spoken to believe that five to six months is recovery. If there is no complication, I hope there is no complication. And maybe two or three months of therapy. So I have to do it at some point. Every day is getting worse and worse and the older you get, the more vulnerable it becomes. Your pressure goes up, you become pre-diabetic and so I think the time is now.”

Another matter that Mai directly confronted were the suspicions circulating in the public arena linking him to the taking of Joseph Budna.  He also spoke on the reports of him being linked to Mexican cartels and illegal activities in the north.  He categorically rejected these claims, describing them as false, irresponsible, and deeply harmful to both his reputation and his family, and stressed that no evidence exists to support any of the accusations made against him.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative:  “The media, in particular, one or two media houses have just, all they have is allegations. If there was any evidence it would have been set forth already. I have done nothing wrong and I have done nothing illicit. And there is no evidence to prove that of me.”

Reporter: But have you been threatened by the cartels? 

Jose Abelardo Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative: “Absolutely not, sir. No, sir. No, not at all. I don’t even know who cartel members are. I don’t want to know them, and I don’t want them to know me. I just read what I see from the cartels in Mexico it’s just horrible and I think that some media people just keep repeating these people’s names. And I think they don’t understand the level of danger that they get themselves into when you do that. Because you didn’t want to mention those people names. From what I see, I mean, look at our Belizeans traveling through Mexico.  I mean, they extort them, they beat them, they torture them, and you are going to mention these people’s names? No, sir. I have never, that I know of had any contact with these people and I don’t want to have contact with them, don’t intend to have contact with them, and I don’t want them to know me or have contact with me. None at all. I keep away from those things. Those are very delicate matters, life-threatening. You don’t want to get involved with these people. So I have never, sir, never contacted those people or been in contact with them, that I know of. Now, we must understand that nobody walks around with a sign on their shirt that says “I’m a cartel.” But that I know of, consciously ? Never.” 

Reporter: There’s also them trying to allude that you had something to do with the extraction of Joseph Budna. Did you have anything to do with that ? 

Jose Abelardo Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative: “No sir. As far as I know Mr.Budna was a reporter, one time he interviewed me on a matter but I’ve never had anything to do with that matter sir.”