By Ruta Krítica on January 15, 2020
Two years and eight months have passed since Lenin Moreno assumed the presidency of Ecuador and almost two years passed since a referendum passed that allegedly entitled him to restore institutions in the country together with late lawyer Julio Cesar Trujillo. Since then there is a distinct lack of results favoring democracy, improving the country’s economy or the alleged new institutionalization except for its usefulness for persecution to clearly shape hate crimes.
They have actually built a discourse of hate and political rhetoric against everything connected to the Rafael Correa Administration out of mere careerism and ambition but those are falling to pieces and don’t even echo as much in certain media outlets anymore.
Do the current governors in Ecuador seriously think that they will be unpunished for their actions, that they will get a visa for a hegemonic country, payment for their favors to economic groups, and thus a retirement without any worries?
There is not a single statement issued by President Moreno; Cabinet Minister Juan Sebastián Roldán; Interior Minister María Paula Romo; Attorney General Diana Salazar; Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrin; Telecommunications Minister Andres Michelena; or former advisor to the President, Santiago Cuesta other than the assumption of hatred, personal attack and political persecution. This is an unprecedented reality in Ecuador’s democratic history. One excellent example are the recent statements against the father of former National Assembly president Gabriela Rivadeneira, who is being charged by Moreno, with no evidence, the same as he did against former President Rafael Correa, former vice-president Jorge Glas, governor Paola Pabon, former deputy Virgilio Hernandez, or former Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño.
Inherent in Moreno’s Administration is an abusive and dishonest management of economic figures, foreign debt and social statistics. All of those figures have been dismissed by international organizations and experts, even those who had supported the alleged “re-institutionalization.” Not to mention really painful and outrageous cases such as the murder of El Comercio newspaper’s team of journalists. When will they release audios of the Security Council’s famous meeting in which they apparently decided not to negotiate with the journalists’ kidnappers condemning them to death?
The standing joke amongst the people in Ecuador is “It’s Correa’s fault,” making fun of Moreno’s inaction or when any person committing a crime, sin or personal fault tries to evade his or her responsibility. As a matter of fact, Juan Sebastian Roldan, Moreno’s Private Secretary recently said that bankers are getting rich due to “Correa’s laws.” Without shame, he is not able to explain the country’s disastrous situation. He evades his own responsibilities and forgets about the entire legal structure developed by Moreno’s regime. Every official figure contradicts the “official authority”.
Besides that, we have to add imprisonments—such as privacy advocate and free software developer Ola Bini and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange—on the grounds that they were part of a pro-Correa organization or that they were at the service of international powers favoring Correa. Or trials and imprisonment to people who allegedly organized and staged the largest people’s rebellion in Ecuador’s history in October 2019.
Proven to be incapable of governing with a clear political and economic project, Moreno and his allies have created a climate of hatred, revenge and fostered a series of political and legal decisions aimed at eliminating anything that smells like Correa. But the truth is that they are undermining the Constitution and are at the service of an empire and a hegemonic power that makes all decisions from one certain embassy. A turning point is being reached though and the Moreno regime is already bearing the cost of its actions even though its members are acting like it’s unimportant with just about a year from leaving power. They undoubtedly will have to pay for it later.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano, translation, North America bureau