Ecuador Court Hands Daniel Noboa Final Win Over Vice President
Daniel Noboa and Veronica Abad.
Photographer: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty ImagesA court in Ecuador narrowly confirmed the suspension of Vice President Veronica Abad beyond the end of her term, leaving President Daniel Noboa as the winner in their long-running dispute.
In a 3-2 vote, the electoral disputes court upheld a first-instance decision to suspend Abad for two years, beyond her term that ends May 25, for engaging in gender-related violence as alleged by Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld. Abad has said the case had no merit.
Her de-facto removal means Noboa won’t have to temporarily hand power to Abad during the electoral campaign that began March 23, said Mauricio Alarcon, head of think-tank FCD in Quito. Noboa may now again argue that he should instead transfer power to an acting vice president of his choice “via the temporary absence” of Abad, he added. Noboa and Abad have been estranged since the out-of-cycle election that swept them into office late 2023 for an 18-month term.
Noboa faces a tight runoff election vote April 13 after edging out his socialist challenger, Luisa Gonzalez, in the Feb. 9 first round by less than 20,000 votes.
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