A standoff pits the Ecuadorian president against his vice-president. Between controversial appointments and serious accusations, the crisis is escalating at the highest level of state. Who will win in this power struggle?
The Ecuadorian political sky is darkening as open conflict tears apart the executive. At the heart of the storm: President Daniel Noboa and his vice-president Veronica Abad, once allies, now fierce adversaries in a power struggle that is shaking the highest echelons of the state.
According to sources close to the presidential palace, Mr. Noboa on Thursday reappointed Planning Minister Sariha Moya as interim vice-president. A strong gesture which increases the pressure on Ms. Abad, holder of the position but persona non grata within her own government.
A vice-president who cries “persecution”
Veronica Abad, relegated to the role of ambassador to Israel last December before being ordered to promote economic relations with Turkey, cries “banishment” and “insult” towards the Ecuadorian people. The deposed vice-president claims to be the victim of “persecution” orchestrated by President Noboa.
“Serious facts” and an accusation of “contempt”
Government Minister José de la Gasca justified the reappointment of Ms. Moya by the absence of Ms. Abad from her post as ambassador in Ankara. He mentions “serious facts” which “constitute an outrage” and leave “a void within the executive which must be filled”.
The underside of a political alliance gone up in smoke
Daniel Noboa and Veronica Abad, entrepreneurs new to politics, created a surprise by winning the early elections of 2023. But their alliance, once promising, did not resist the exercise of power. Their divergent visions and ambitions shattered the presidential team.
Towards new elections against a backdrop of political crisis
Coming to power in November 2023 to complete the mandate of his predecessor Guillermo Lasso, forced into early elections to avoid dismissal amid accusations of corruption, Daniel Noboa will be a candidate in the general elections in February. His government says he is not required to take time off to campaign, contrary to constitutional provisions, since he is completing another’s term.
Ecuador on the verge of political implosion?
This crisis at the top of the Ecuadorian state raises many questions. Will the country, accustomed to political upheavals, manage to find a form of stability? Will President Noboa manage to extricate himself from this quagmire to run for a new term? Will Veronica Abad manage to clear her honor and regain her position? So many questions that agitate a nation in search of bearings, while the battle for power rages behind the scenes in Quito.
One thing is certain: Ecuador is going through a zone of strong political turbulence. And no one can predict with certainty whether the presidential plane will manage to land gently or whether it will suffer a sudden crash during the next electoral elections. Ecuadorians, for their part, are observing this new soap opera at the top of the state with concern mixed with weariness. Hoping that their leaders will be able to place the interest of the country above their internal struggles.
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