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Jules Vasquez spoke to him in the leader's office just a short while ago. We reached out after he made a post showing that he's still on the ground in Mesop two days after losing that election to Lee Mark Chang and the PUP candidate. He told us his Uncle Michael Finnegan was the reason he lost. Here's the interview with Jules Vasquez:

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"What lies ahead is building better relationships with the people of Mesopotamia. And so Wednesday's results just means that I have to work harder."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, you lost by a commanding margin. You came in last. Isn't that an indication that the people in Mesopotamia don't want you? They could have chosen you at second place and they didn't. Eight out of every ten voters rejected you."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"That happened to Said Musa in Fort George."

Jules Vasquez
"Not by those margins, but..."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"I don't remember the exact margins, but pretty loss is still a loss. There have been people that have suffered even greater losses and come back to win the seat. But I had at one point won the constituency. I have to revisit everyone and rebuild the relationship. And that is what I want to do."

Jules Vasquez
"You were unable to win in the smallest constituency in Belize when the winner only needed to have 600 votes and you couldn't get that. Maybe politics isn't for you."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"But who are you to tell me or anyone what may not be for them when I have accomplished so much in life, whether in the entertainment business and whether in politics. Again, when I win, when I win, hold on, I won a national convention by three, but a victory, right? I won my seat, a victory. So because you lose one time, means that it is the end of the world. I don't think that is how any person should think."

"You don't go in the corner and cry because things don't go your way. I love the people in Mesopotamia. I was genuinely doing my best to assist as many as I could for all the years that I've been around."

"And that hasn't changed. And I need to continue my journey of service in the best way that I know how. And that's on the ground, whether it's helping a young entrepreneur or other things that we have planned to just continue to help. And then I have other things that I'll do in the private sector. So in all fairness, it's a question to ask, but obviously I do believe it's for me or I would not have gone right back into the constituency and keep doing what I've been doing."

Jules Vasquez
"Your uncle was certainly not supporting you this time."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Oh, I'm glad that you will actually admit that."

Jules Vasquez
"No, I'm just saying it's well known in the constituency that Finnegan wasn't with you. You're a straw candidate, sir. When your uncle moved from back here you drop down."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"I, you know, I will definitely concede to you right here and know that you are certainly right that, you know, Finnegan owns that constituency. He's the don of that constituency, He's the king of that constituency. Those people are in love with him and that he had everything to do with my victory. As much as I may have been capable and thought myself someone who was working and serving the people, it's who Finnegan say."

"I take that as a challenge, right? I am 46 years old. I am a young man that again has accomplished so much against all odds. I am ahead of my 10-year trajectory to have been even leader of the UDP or prime minister or any of those things."

"So I have time and I love the people that I have worked with over the years. And so I have time to unlock the chiss and to get those people to fall in love with me more than they are with Finnegan so that he cannot interfere and intervene for Lee Mark or anyone."

"Michael Finnegan won Mesop for Lee Mark."

Jules Vasquez
"Hold on I didn't say Michael Finnegan was supporting Lee Mark. I don't know that at all."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"So who was he supporting?"

Jules Vasquez
"I don't know."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Come on, come on."

Jules Vasquez
"He's retired from politics, sir."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"I'm not going to, I'm not going to debate you. You just, of course..."

Jules Vasquez
"I said he was active in 2020 because he was on the way out."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"You just said, my good friend, brother Vasquez, you just said that everybody knew Finnegan is not with you."

Jules Vasquez
"Not being with you is very different from being with your opponent."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Oh, no, no, he was actively with Lee Mark Chang."

Jules Vasquez
"Michael Finnegan told me today he's retired from politics. He plays no role."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"No, no, no, he was actively involved. He was telling everyone to vote."

Jules Vasquez
"So you believe you were undermined by your own uncle?"

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"I'm just telling you what the reports were."

Jules Vasquez
"But that has to be, again... a failure of yourself to manage interpersonal relationships. You alienated Finnegan. You alienate Yellow, you alienated flies. You alienated, God rest the dead, Miss Jerr. You have interpersonal conflicts which erode your support base."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Yeah. According to you. According to you."

Jules Vasquez
"It's obvious."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"So how about Patrick Faber, who alienate Carol Jones and take a bukut on Wednesday as well?"

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, but you are not Patrick Faber."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Yes, exactly. But I'm just saying politics has a bunch...."

Jules Vasquez
"And he came in third."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"It doesn't matter what I came in."

Jules Vasquez
"Eight out of ten voters rejected you in a small constituency."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Listen, pretty lose, that's still a loss."

Jules Vasquez
"Scale is important in assessing damage, sir."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Pretty lose is still a loss. And that damage is for me to assess in determining my way forward. and my way forward is to continue to serve and you nor anyone can dissuade me of that. My opponent in Mesopotamia is Michael Finnegan."

"So as long as he is alive..."

Jules Vasquez
"But you can't beat Michael Finnegan."

Shyne Barrow, Maintains UDP Leadership
"Well, that is the challenge."