The former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has faced a series of trials and investigations for corruption and bribes from which he has so far left well
The former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has faced a series of trials and investigations for corruption and bribes from which he has so far gone well.
Former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. / Photo: Reuters
LatinAmerican Post | Juliana Suárez
Listen to this article
Leer en español: Llaman a juicio al ex presidente Rafael Correa
The most recent call of the Ecuadorian justice towards whom was president from 2007 to 2017 arrives for a case of bribes that had been announced months ago, where justice had been ordered preventive capture for Rafael Correa.
During both presidential periods and the years after them, Correa was criticized and investigated for irregularities branded as corruption, linked not only to bribery cases but also in relation to the Odebrecht scandal. His first scandal came when he had only been in the presidency for 6 months and since then, according to El Comercio, he has faced 12 trials of which he has already left 7.
In this case, the accusations are given because while he was in the presidency, he allegedly favored his Alianza País party in exchange for obtaining contracts.
Not only Rafael Correa but another 20 people from his administration and close friends are called to court for the bribery charge. This charge has a penalty of privative penalty of up to 5 years and does not need the physical presence to be tried, which has prevented other charges as Correa is in Belgium. The former president also faces the same type of charges, in which he does not need to go to court, in the case of the alleged kidnapping of his political opponent, Fernando Balda, in Colombia in 2012.
Also read: Jair Bolsonaro: a year of a nationalist government
Among the others that were called is Jorge Glas, who was his vice president and also has an arrest warrant for bribes in the case of Odebrecht, his Minister of Public Works, his Minister of Water, his secretary of Tourism, his legal secretary of the presidency, among other figures of his presidential terms.
The judge who issued the trial order criticized the slow action of the Prosecutor. Judge Daniella Camacho said that the Prosecutor's Office had submitted an incomplete and disorderly report.
The news of the order comes at a bad time for the ex-president, who has been blunt in rejecting all previous calls, including the arrest warrant. Despite open investigations, Correa remains immersed in politics with a view to the 2021 elections. In recent months, during 2019, he had announced that he would launch the presidential elections, although not necessarily him would be the candidate.
Rafael Correa's followers have denounced that the call to trial is only one way to try to avoid his candidacy and have criticized the judge's decision.
