Attorney General Diana Salazar might find herself battling on two fronts simultaneously if the dates of the Metastasis hearings coincide with the impeachment trial proposed by Correismo in the Assembly.
Given the pace of the Assembly’s Oversight Commission, the impeachment trial against Diana Salazar is likely to commence in early June or sooner, inevitably overlapping with significant judicial processes conducted by the prosecutor.
This week, the legislative board unanimously approved the prosecution process against the former Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, whom legislator Carlos Vera of the Social Christian Party (PSC) accuses of being responsible for the insecurity crisis.
Deadlines for Zapata are already underway:
- 15 days to present charges and defenses.
- 10 days to present evidence.
- Five days for the commission to prepare and approve the report.
- Five additional days to include it on the plenary session agenda for resolution of censure and dismissal if the official is still in office.
Extensions may be requested, particularly for the preparation and approval of the report, extending the average duration of a political trial to between 40 and 45 days.
Then Salazar is next
Following the priority order approved by the Audit Office, composed of a Correísta and Social-Christian majority, Diana Salazar is next in line for legislative scrutiny.
In full throttle, the Assembly has processed political trials for three former officials in five months, starting with former Minister of Economic Inclusion Esteban Bernal, followed by Fausto Murillo and Juan José Morillo of the Judiciary Council.
Earlier this week, the commission approved the report recommending the continuation of the prosecution of former Minister of Energy Fernando Santos Alvite, accused in the current energy crisis.
The agenda for session meetings beginning Monday, April 22, might include Santos Alvite’s case.
However, upon notification of the plenary session, commission president Pamela Aguirre called for the qualification of Zapata’s impeachment, indicating a swift approach to reach prosecutor Salazar.
Aguirre, affiliated with the Citizen Revolution, stated that Salazar’s impeachment process, proposed by fellow Correísta Gissela Garzón, will begin in approximately 45 days, emphasizing the commission’s responsibility to address all cases brought to its attention.
Metastasis is coming up
Coincidentally, the audit process of prosecutor Diana Salazar in the Assembly could align with the start of the preparatory hearing for the Metastasis trial.
This case investigates organized crime, involving a corruption network among politicians, judges, and drug traffickers, with 52 individuals under investigation, including former Correismo assemblyman Ronny Aleaga and other related figures.
The tax investigation concluded on April 12, 2024, and the hearing is pending Judge Felipe Córdova’s scheduling, which due to its voluminous and complex nature, might take two to three months.
This timeline suggests that between early June and mid-July, Salazar would have to prepare for the Metastasis trial, present evidence, attend the Oversight Commission, and defend herself in the impeachment trial.
Moreover, the Attorney General’s Office is conducting other investigations such as the Purge, Judicial Independence, and Reconstruction of Manabí cases, nearing completion of fiscal instructions.
We pretty much expected to be moving to a country with a higher level of corruption when we decided to come to Ecuador. However the extent of said corruption boggles the mind. Is this a national trait to take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself? Or is corruption limited to certain families/groups/mindsets. Being elected should not be seen as an opportunity to steal your country blind. Is this the foundation of politics here, get elected to line your pockets at the expense of the poor who obviously don’t know what is going on and/or codone it as normal?