In the investigations into the cases of collection of tithes, there were death threats, persecution and lampoons.
The new National Assembly, chaired by Guadalupe Llori (Pachakutik), in the first seven months of work did not shy away from the scandals and complaints against legislators who were accused of collecting tithes from the collaborators of their offices.
In addition to this, three complaints were processed that were administratively judged at the level of the Legislative Administration Council (CAL).
The first, against Assemblyman Fernando Villavicencio, a complaint that was filed by legislator Ricardo Vanegas (Pachakutik), for accusations of alleged participation in acts of corruption related to the Las Torres case, an alleged organized crime plot whose purpose was disappear glosses filed by the Comptroller’s Office. That, according to Vanegas, constituted idle, disrespectful, and above all unfounded accusations that undermined his good name and reputation.
Fernando Villavicencio challenged Guadalupe Llori and two other CAL legislators in the processing of the complaint against him
Villavicencio declared himself in absentia against this decision to open a disciplinary process against him, as he maintained that he will not assist or submit to those who collect bribes and manage public positions. He presented a challenge against the president of the Assembly, Guadalupe Llori, the second vice president at that time, Bella Jiménez, and the CAL member Darwin Pereira, for manifest enmity.
Legislator Villavicencio recalled that the enmity on the part of the three legislators was for having alerted of the purchase that was foreseen in the Assembly of vehicles for their main authorities. Llori called Villavicencio “bitter” and threatened to report him for political violence, but the incident did not materialize.
The second case of indiscipline was against the Pachakutik representative in Napo, Rosa Cerda Cerda, for having delivered a speech in her province that referred to “if they steal, steal well, justify well, but do not let things be seen , mates”.
Rosa Cerda for her apology ‘steal well’ is suspended as an assembly member for eight days and without pay
The complaint was presented by the legislator Eitel Zambrano (BAN) in July 2021, and the CAL proceeded to suspend it for eight days and without remuneration, for making an apology for the theft, which, in the accuser’s discretion, affected the image of the National Assembly .
The third case was against the official legislator Diego Ordóñez, who was sanctioned by the CAL, for fifteen days and without remuneration, for verbal aggression and evident misogyny against the UNES assembly member Mónica Palacios. The offense committed was determined as serious.
Palacios denounced Ordóñez for a tweet, published on November 4, in which he pointed out: “Going from the tube to the seat and these clumsy tricks arise,” with a quote from the portal’s tweet 4 Pelagatos that said: “Mónica Palacios was the last hope of those who want to remove the president. He said he had the proof and set about insulting (Guillermo) Lasso. The Super. of Banks of Panama denies it, now that commission does not know what to put in the report ”.
All this in reference to the documents that Palacios presented within the investigation carried out by the Constitutional Guarantees Commission on the so-called Pandora Papers, where the first president, Guillermo Lasso, was named, who at the end of the full legislature ended up issuing an appeal to to go to plenary to explain the case. The suspension of Ordóñez will take effect from January 3, 2022.
Tithe Cases
One of the cases that hit the Ecuadorian Parliament the most in the first seven months was the complaint and subsequent dismissal of the second vice president of the Assembly, Bella Jiménez Torres, accused by her own bench, the Democratic Left, for managing public positions and alleged collection tithe to his office partners.
The legislature on October 12, 2021, with 131 votes, dismissed her for managing public office in exchange for money. The event that led to Jiménez’s departure was a deposit of $ 3,000 that Pablo Luna Fuentes made to the former legislator’s son, Jorge Simón Peláez Jiménez, to supposedly enter the Assembly as part of the former vice president’s team.
Bella Jiménez was removed from the Assembly for managing public office in exchange for money
Jiménez defended himself noting that it was a loan that Luna made to his son due to the degree of friendship and almost family, therefore, he denied that it was a payment, although in the process he recognized that his wish was that Pablo Luna was part of his work team in the legislature, but he himself withdrew from the offer and the contract was never signed.
The second case of an alleged collection of tithes from his collaborators also arose from the ranks of the Democratic Left. This time against the representative of Pichincha, Éckenner Recalde, and although this time the plenary session of the Assembly did not obtain the 91 votes to remove him, the political cost of the ID was the disaffiliation of the legislator, who became part of the bench Correista Unión por la Esperanza (UNES), who blocked his departure from the legislature.
The complaint against Recalde was presented by the assembly member Johanna Moreira (ID), who called her colleague a “tither”, since the complaint was based on the testimony of two former collaborators of the accused who maintained that they had been charged money to open a campaign center in the south of Quito for the Democratic Left, to pay expenses related to solidarity oven tickets, pay leaders who had supported activities in territories and cover campaign expenses.
The abstention of the Union for Hope (UNES) bench prevented the removal of Recalde, who since November 30 has been voting together with the correista bloc despite the fact that the seat is still located within the Democratic Left sector.
Correísmo, PK and several independents abstained from voting for the removal of Assemblyman Éckenner Recalde, accused of collecting tithes
Threats and persecution
The president of the Ethics Committee, Segundo Chimbo (Pachakutik), defended the procedure applied by this judging body in the two reported cases of violating codes of ethics, but warned that this body often feels hand-tied to act in the face of public complaints. against the assembly members, because the law does not allow to open an investigation ex officio.
If there is no complaint, the Ethics Committee cannot initiate prosecution processes, hence it is necessary for the legislators themselves to know the functions and prohibitions they have when exercising the position; For this reason, this body for judging the conduct of assembly members held a workshop to raise awareness and publicize the rules and procedures regarding serious misconduct that conflict with ethics and that could lead to sanction or dismissal. This awareness-raising model will continue in 2022, with the purpose of eradicating corruption practices at the Legislative level.
During the two investigations into the alleged collection of tithes, according to legislator Segundo Chimbo, he received several death threats, telephone calls, persecution and pressure; Pamphlets and even people were presented to threaten him, but he says that it could cost him his life, that his purpose is to leave a precedent in the National Assembly.
He indicates that his job is to make public management transparent, but that in the case of former second vice president Bella Jiménez, they were where the threats and pressure were most presented, although he says that also in the investigation against Recalde, he received threatening calls, but that his performance was always transparent and at all times he guaranteed due process and the defendants had time to present their defense evidence. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
