Ecuadorian President in the crosshairs for political gender violence

QuitoEcuador’s Electoral Disputes Tribunal announced on Saturday that it had accepted a complaint filed by Vice President Verónica Abad against President Daniel Noboa and other officials, whom she accuses of political gender violence.

Political gender violence is considered a “very serious” electoral violation in Ecuadorian legislation and is punishable by a fine, dismissal and/or suspension of political participation rights for up to four years.

The court summoned the defendants to a single hearing to present evidence and arguments on September 12, according to the ruling signed on August 23 by Judge Fernando Muñoz and released to the press on Saturday night.

The relationship between Noboa and Abad has been broken since the time of the electoral campaign, although the reasons have not been made known.

Days after taking office, Abad was delegated by Noboa to serve as ambassador to Israel and was recently ordered to be transferred to Turkey due to security issues caused by the war in that area of ​​the Middle East.

The vice president mentions this fact and others as measures taken by the government to pressure her to resign, while the president called her “disloyal.”

Photo Europa Press

Abad filed the complaint on August 8 against Noboa, the deputy minister of government, Esteban Torres, the foreign minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, and the presidential advisor, Diana Jácome, whom she accuses of political gender violence.

After learning of the complaint filed by Abad, ministers and other state officials rallied in defense of the president and accused the vice president of an “attempted coup d’état,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Government at the time.

Meanwhile, Noboa said that Abad “wants the president of the republic out of power, so that she can assume that position.” She also said that she intends to leave him out of the 2025 electoral contest when Noboa confirmed that she will seek another term.

In a previous conversation with The Associated Press, constitutional lawyer and expert Ismael Quintana said that the eventual removal of the president “is not applicable,” since the Ecuadorian Constitution provides specific causes for the cessation of his functions, such as resignation, termination of the term and removal through a political trial in the legislative branch.

Quintana clarified that, although political gender violence is sanctioned in the Code of Democracy, this regulation is of lower rank than the Constitution and does not grant the dispute the power to remove the president from office.

Noboa assumed power in November 2023 to complete the term of his predecessor Guillermo Lasso, who in May last year dissolved the National Assembly and called for early elections, shortening his own mandate.