After She Was Suspended from Vamos, Congresswoman Paulette Thomas Explains Her Vote for Lilia Batista

Deputy Paulette Thomas explained her decision to support, through her alternate Edilberto Guerrero, Lilia Batista’s candidacy to preside over the Education, Culture and Sports Commission of the National Assembly, after the Vamos bloc announced her suspension.  Thomas noted that her alternate voted in favor of Batista during the election of the commission’s Board of Directors, and explained that the decision was in response to a commitment she claimed to have made to the congresswoman days before the election.  “This decision was in response to the commitment I made to Representative Batista days before the election, at a time when there were only two viable candidates to occupy the presidency of the commission, neither of them belonging to the Vamos Coalition,” she said. 

The congresswoman assured that she gave her word to support Batista’s aspiration.  Thomas also defended her record within Vamos and stated that she has supported the caucus’s decisions and initiatives. She noted that she has also supported Representative Jorge Bloise in the initiatives and responsibilities he has undertaken.  “However, on this occasion there was a prior commitment, made with the Honorable Deputy Lilia Batista before the candidacies were defined and in a different scenario than the one that was later presented,” she said.  “Out of respect for my word and the principles that govern my actions, I felt it was right to honor that commitment,” she stated.  The congresswoman also stated that she will stand firm in the face of any criticism her decision may generate. “In a political landscape where words are increasingly devalued, I will remain steadfast, and neither praise nor threats will sway me from the teachings of my parents,” she declared.