Ecuador’s Current Human Rights Violations

In 2017, Ecuador elected Lenin Boltaire Moreno Garces’ as President in hopes of continuing what Rafael Correa had created. Moreno helped political party Allanza Pais be victorious in the elections. However, in a complete 180, Moreno began to attack the Citizens Revolution and show his real face. Moreno was literally kicked out of his political party. By violating citizens human rights, torturing Julian Assange through solitary confinement and refusing to allow a new progressive party to emerge, he has done more than fail to respect his oath of office and the Ecuadorian Constitution. I will outline some of the human rights infringements.

1. Jorge Glas, former Vice President elected alongside Moreno

A quote from Silvia Glas from the article seen here:

“An important part of Alianza País, faithful to the social policies of “Buen Vivir” (“Good Living”), disapproved of this. Then, vice-president Jorge Glas, who could be counted among these critical voices, was removed from his post and again put in the media spotlight, accused of corruption amidst the Odebrecht affair. A mere coincidence or fate?”

Jorge Glas is currently serving 6 years in Ecuadorian prison without the protection that Moreno must legally give him. Believed to be politically motivated, in another quote from Silvia Glas’ article, we see what happens to someone who challenges Moreno.

With a positive balance after 10 years as president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa helped Alianza País emerge victorious in the second round of the presidential elections in early 2017. But a complete turnaround was soon on the cards: newly elected president Lenín Moreno started to attack the legacy of the Citizens Revolution that had gotten him elected. An important part of Alianza País, faithful to the social policies of “Buen Vivir” (“Good Living”), disapproved of this. Then, vice-president Jorge Glas, who could be counted among these critical voices, was removed from his post and again put in the media spotlight, accused of corruption amidst the Odebrecht affair. A mere coincidence or fate? After four months of pre-trial detention, in January 2018 Jorge Glas was sentenced to six years in prison. Silvia Glas, economist and sister of Jorge Glas, granted an exclusive interview to Investig’Action, in which she exposes the “lack of evidence” for the verdict and calls for breaking the media blockade surrounding this case.

On May 24, 2017, a new government took office in Ecuador with Lenín Moreno as president and Jorge Glas as vice-president. When does this winning partnership sour?

“We can point to two important moments: on August 2nd, 2017, in a public letter, Jorge Glas denounces alleged irregularities in the governance of Lenín Moreno. Moreno then relieved Glas of all his legally mandated duties on August 4th, as a consequence of this “disrespectful letter”.

From this point onward the plot thickens. At the end of September, after Jorge Glas held a press briefing in which he denounced the harassment against him and pleaded his innocence, the following day, a Friday afternoon, there was an announcement that his legal status was being reviewed. In other words, he could go to jail immediately the following Monday.”

And of course, Jorge Glas was put in protective custody and convicted in a predetermined verdict. Removing Jorge Glas from his duties when he was elected was a violation of the Constitution and his detention pretrial was considered arbitrary according to international law on human rights.

Currently, Glass health has deteriorated. He was taken to the hospital where his own wife was not allowed to see him and quickly returned to prison where there is no running water. It is likely that Glas will die there.

2. New Progressive Party not allowed to register.

In an interview I conducted with a citizen of Ecuador, whose name will remain unknown but referred to as Citizen Anon, he stated the following:

“As you know human rights violations are reported by ong’s that are financed on the most part by foreign entities and countries. The lenin government is denying our party to register in the CNE or National Elections Council. After lenin stole the Alianza Pais party that was created by Rafael Correa, all of its members left that party. Alianza pais has no members now. We made a campaign to choose a new party name. We chose one. This was Revolution Alfarista, we tried to register it and it was denied. We tried another name MANA, it was also denied registration. I am sure the government is spying on us and has the list of all the party names we proposed in competition so as to deny registration to all of them. Now the registration deadline is past and we can not register any political party name. All the parties that are registered for next elections are right wing. There is a couple of political parties that say they are progressive but they are not. They just want to fool the people. There are no progressive parties in the next elections.
To deny political participation to the people is a human rights violation by the government of Lenin Moreno. As far as I know there have no reports of human rights violations by the police or military. I can assure you the human rights violations will explode if the PSC or Partido Social Cristiano wins the elections because they have a history of human rights violations that include disappearances, torture and beatings. They are close to the US interests since they have their investments in the US.”

3. Torture of Julian Assange

In my article Who Was Really Behind the Silencing of Julian Assange?Who Was Really Behind The Silencing of Julian Assange?Who Was Behind The Silencing of Julian Assange? and also my article The Persecution of Julian Assange Continues…The Persecution of Julian Assange Continues… I describe the torture of Julian Assange through isolation. Lenin Moreno ordered him put in solitary confinement on March 28th of 2018 due to pressure from the US government and Spain. Both countries wanted him silenced due to his comments on their policies. In other words, Julian did nothing more than exercise his right to free speech. Moreno chose this method hoping to break Assange and get him to walk out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he has political asylum with Ecuador. Should Assange walk out, he would be immediately arrested by British police and then extradited to the US where he would face life in prison the death penalty.

The UN previously has ruled twice in favor of Assange and stated that he is being arbitrarily detained in the Ecuador Embassy. They have also expressed that his situation is against his human rights as he does not get any sunlight, fresh air or proper medical care. This scenario is worsened by the current torture he is being put through. Instead of standing up to the United States Government, Moreno has chosen to be coerced and in a sense, been bribed into inflicting torment on this extraordinary human being.

3. Other Human Rights Violations

In a report from the US Department of State in 2017 found US Department of State Report found here the following human rights violations were found which include:

• Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
  Punishment
• Prison Conditions are more like dungeons. Physical and sexual abuse runs rampant, food shortages and inadequate sanitary conditions run rampant.
• Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
• Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees are not followed and many are not told what they are charged with.
• Denial of Fair Public Trial.
• Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
  Correspondence
• Freedom of Expression, Including for the Press. “Regulatory bodies created under the communication law
  monitored and disciplined the media through a combination of legal and
  administrative sanctions.”
• Violence and Harassment of Press That Publishes Negative Statements About Current Administration

Former President Rafael Correa has called Moreno “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” In fact, Moreno issued a warrant for the arrest of Correa on trumped-up charges recently. However, the former president remains under protection in Europe. This is an attempt by Lenin to destroy the former president’s well-known legacy.

The list continues after this but is too long to include. President Lenin Moreno shows himself to be a tyrant and is living up to the name Lenin in his persecution of his own citizens. The ironic part of this is that the US government has shown the human rights violations in this report and yet supports the torture of Julian Assange. Yet the real question remains, why is the media not covering this atrocity?

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