The Feud

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Ecuador’s government condemned the vice president’s recent court filing to remove President Daniel Noboa from office, labeling it as an attempted “coup,” an announcement that highlighted growing internal divisions as the country grapples with a security crisis and an upcoming presidential election early next year, Reuters reported.

Last week, Vice President Verónica Abad filed a complaint against Noboa and his senior officials before the Electoral Contentious Court, accusing them of gender-based political violence.

In her claims, she alleges that Noboa has sidelined her and sabotaged the representation of women in the government, which she believes is a violation of her rights.

Abad also alleged that Noboa’s administration orchestrated a smear campaign against her and her family in an attempt to pressure her to leave office. Meanwhile, the complaint demanded that Noboa and other members of his administration be banned from holding public office for four years and a fine equivalent of $32,000.

The relationship between the president and vice president has been tense since the start of Noboa’s term in November 2023. The two leaders have reportedly not spoken since the presidential election runoff, and their relationship further deteriorated after Noboa appointed Abad as Ecuador’s ambassador of peace to Israel, a position she described as “useless.”

Theories about the strained relationship between Noboa and Abad have shifted over time. Initially, it was linked to corruption allegations involving Abad’s son. Later, some accused her of aligning with “Correismo,” the party of former leftist President Rafael Correa, despite her consistent opposition to it, Spain’s El País wrote.

The president has dismissed the allegations, saying that Abad “will leave on her own.”

El País said there have been five attempts to remove Abad from office, which observers described as efforts to prevent her from assuming power if Noboa steps down early to focus on his reelection campaign.

Noboa is serving a truncated, 17-month term after his predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, stepped down in the face of an impeachment process. The 36-year-old president is trying to reestablish peace and security in the country which has seen spiraling violence due to conflicts between rival drug gangs.

Earlier this month, he announced his intention to run for a full term in February’s presidential elections.