Ecuador government suspends vice president from office ahead of 2025 elections

10/11/2024 14:53

        Ecuador's Labor Ministry has temporarily suspended Vice President Veronica Abad from office just three months before next year's elections in which President Daniel Noboa will seek another term.
        
        Abad, who is also the South American country's ambassador to Israel, is accused of committing a "serious" disciplinary offense by failing to comply with an order from the foreign ministry to leave Israel and travel to Turkey before Sept. 1 due to security concerns during the conflict in Gaza, according to the resolution dated Friday but made public on Saturday.
        
        Abad could not immediately be reached for comment. Her legal representative, Damian Armijos, said the decision had been appealed by the defense without a favorable result.
        
        The said on social media platform X, "This behavior will go down in history as an abuse of power above the Constitution, the law and rights."
        
        The Labor Ministry said Abad, who has a tense relationship with Noboa, would be removed from office until April without pay.