The former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has warned about the possibility of a coup d'état if the current president Daniel Noboa decides not to request a leave of absence to participate in the electoral campaign for the 2025 general elections, as the law requires.
Brussels, January 3 (RHC)-- The former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has warned about the possibility of a coup d'état if the current president Daniel Noboa decides not to request a leave of absence to participate in the electoral campaign for the 2025 general elections, as the law requires.
Through his account on the social network X, Correa expressed that Noboa's refusal to take a leave of absence and temporarily hand over the position to Vice President Verónica Abad would be a "flagrant constitutional violation."
Correa stated: "Stop lying." How long will you continue to destroy the homeland?
On the other hand, he denounced "the media mafia trivializing the pulverization of the Constitution and the laws, as well as a true coup d'état."
The day before, through a statement, the National Democratic Action (ADN) caucus, a center-right party, announced that Noboa is not required to take a leave of absence, as his election as president was the result of a "cross death" that led to the dissolution of Parliament by former president Guillermo Lasso in 2023.
According to ADN, since he assumed the mandate in a special election and not in an immediate reelection, the obligation to take a leave of absence would not apply, as established by Article 93 of the Code of Democracy for those seeking reelection.
The controversy has intensified with the start of the electoral campaign, which begins on January 5 and extends until February 6, 2025.
The ADN statement has been harshly criticized by Correa, who emphasized that the Constitution clearly states that, in the event of a temporary absence of the president, the vice president must assume the position.
However, Noboa's team has publicly stated that handing over the presidency to Verónica Abad would endanger the country's democratic stability. Both leaders have had differences since the 2023 runoff election, and Noboa sent her abroad to distance her from the duties for which she was elected.
Ecuadorian jurists have warned that if Noboa does not take the mandatory leave for the campaign, he could face an impeachment trial and possible removal from office, as the Ecuadorian constitution stipulates that public officials must take unpaid leave from the date of their candidacy registration until the day after the elections.
According to Article 113 of the Constitution, the previous provision is clear and cannot be contravened by other laws or regulations.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
