In an attempt to distance her, President Daniel Noboa appointed Vice President Verónica Abad as Ecuador’s ambassador to Israel, a role within one of the country’s most expensive diplomatic missions.

Tensions within the government continue to escalate, with disputes between Vice President Abad and the executive branch growing more contentious. Each side presents conflicting narratives, leading to two opposing official versions of events.

The government’s main objective is to prevent Abad from stepping in as acting president while Noboa focuses on his reelection campaign next January. So far, their efforts to keep her at bay have been unsuccessful.

The latest development involves the executive branch pressuring the Ministry of Labor to launch an administrative investigation against Abad, who is also now the Ambassador to Israel. The reason? Her delayed transfer to Ankara, Turkey.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Abad was notified on August 27th that she had until September 1st to arrive in Ankara. Despite this, she didn’t arrive until September 9th, eight days late.

This is not the first time Noboa has attempted to send Abad abroad. A similar situation occurred when she was appointed Ambassador for Peace in Tel Aviv. In November, the president gave her just six days to move from Quito to Tel Aviv; she took ten.

The push to put physical distance between Abad and Carondelet has been evident since the 2023 runoff election, following the controversial remarks and conduct of Noboa’s running mate during the campaign.

Since then, President Noboa and his cabinet have suggested that Abad, with support from other political factions, is plotting to “undo the government’s achievements.” These accusations have intensified over time.

Compounding the issue is the “Nene” case, in which Abad’s son and one of her advisors are under investigation for alleged influence peddling. The National Assembly’s refusal to prosecute Abad has only fueled the government’s allegations against her.

Can Verónica Abad Lose Her Job?

Like any public official, Vice President Verónica Abad can be removed from her position. However, the Ecuadorian Constitution stipulates only six specific grounds for the dismissal of a president or vice president:

• The end of the presidential term
• Voluntary resignation accepted by the National Assembly
• Removal from office due to serious political crises, internal unrest, or criminal prosecution for crimes such as bribery, extortion, or embezzlement
• Permanent physical or mental incapacity
• Proven abandonment of duty
• Revocation of the mandate

Thus, no public entity other than the National Assembly has the legal authority to dismiss her from office.

A historical precedent exists in the case of Jorge Glas. On October 2, 2017, Glas was placed under preventive detention for the Odebrecht corruption scandal. Later that month, the Comptroller’s Office issued a sanction of dismissal due to irregularities in the awarding of the Singue block. Despite notifying the Assembly, Glas remained in office until January 3, 2018, when he lost his position after 90 days of absence.

Other Possible Outcomes

Though there are no precedents for dismissing a president or vice president outside of these legal grounds, the Electoral Disputes Tribunal (TCE) is currently handling two complaints against Abad.

The first accuses her of conducting an early campaign for her 2023 mayoral run in Cuenca. The second, filed by presidential advisor Diana Jácome, accuses her of political gender violence.

Under the Code of Democracy, both complaints could result in fines, dismissal from office, and a temporary suspension of political rights. Jácome has publicly stated that the goal of her complaint is to see Abad removed from office.

Additionally, the administrative investigation by the Ministry of Labor could lead to consequences if it finds that Abad violated Executive Decree No. 353, which was issued on August 8th and ordered her transfer to Ankara. However, since the decree did not specify a deadline, and the timeline was imposed by the Foreign Ministry’s August 27th memo, any government action based on non-compliance would ultimately need to be settled by the Constitutional Court.

The Foreign Ministry is also scrutinizing Abad’s work as ambassador. Under Decree 27, she was assigned a “single role” as Ambassador for Peace, tasked with de-escalating the Israel-Hamas conflict. But with Decree 61, she was also named the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, meaning she must fulfill the full responsibilities of a head of mission, contrary to what she’s reported in her monthly management summaries.

Why Was the Vice President Sent to Ankara?

Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld has offered an official explanation. On September 10th, the ministry stated that Abad’s transfer to Ankara was for security reasons, following multiple communications in which Abad expressed concerns about her safety due to rising tensions in the Middle East, specifically the Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, Abad denied this in an interview, arguing that her transfer couldn’t have been for security reasons, given that the rest of the diplomatic delegation remained in Tel Aviv. According to the Foreign Ministry, the other officials chose to stay in Israel voluntarily.