Quito/Latin Press
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has again accused Vice President Verónica Abad of trying to remove him from office and prevent him from participating in the 2025 general elections.
In a statement, the president referred to the complaint that Abad filed last week before the Electoral Disputes Tribunal (TCE) for gender-based political violence.
“She wants the President of the Republic out of power, so that she can assume that position. If there was any doubt about her intentions, today she finally dropped her mask,” Noboa said in the document.
The president also accused the vice president’s defense attorney, Oswaldo Trujillo, of having defended drug traffickers and members of the Albanian mafia, publishing X screenshots on his social network that point out this relationship in press releases.
The complaint filed by Abad before the TCE requests the dismissal of Noboa from office and the suspension of his participation rights for four years.
“They openly and explicitly request my dismissal. They do not care about leaving the country without a President of the Republic and without a Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, in the midst of an internal armed conflict. We are not exaggerating when we say: they want to see Ecuador burn, in order to reign over its ashes,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Government, Michele Sensi-Contugi, also accused the vice president of attempting a coup d’état, after filing a complaint against Noboa for political violence.
Other members of Noboa’s cabinet came out to defend the head of state on social media, after Abad’s complaint was made public this week, after she was assigned to Israel as ambassador amid disagreements with the ruler.
The accusation of political gender violence includes Noboa and three members of her team: Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld; Vice Minister of Government Esteban Torres and presidential advisor Diana Jácome.
This violation is considered “very serious” and is punishable by suspension of political rights for two to four years, dismissal and a fine.
The disagreements between the two main heads of the Ecuadorian Executive were evident from the election of the duo and then, on December 8, 2023, a few days after taking office, Noboa sent Abad to Tel Aviv as an ambassador and collaborator for peace.
Last week, the president ordered the temporary transfer of the vice president to Turkey, after the Foreign Ministry urged Ecuadorians in Lebanon, Israel or Palestine to leave those countries due to the conflicts in the region.
On the other hand, the TCE is also waiting to process another complaint against the vice-governor for alleged electoral violation, and if she loses it, she will not be able to assume the presidency when Noboa requests leave to campaign for re-election.
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