Kronfle expresses skepticism, stating that the evidence fails to persuade him that Salazar warrants impeachment. Noboa emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts, advocating a departure from the ineffective governance of previous times.

On December 7, 2023, the Legislative Administration Council (CAL) convened to assess Correismo’s request for the impeachment of Prosecutor Diana Salazar. The resolution, with five votes in favor and one against, highlighted the complexities surrounding the impeachment process. President of the Assembly, Henry Kronfle (PSC), issued a statement defending the CAL resolution while expressing his personal disagreement with the impeachment against Salazar.

Kronfle emphasized that the CAL’s role is limited to verifying the formal requirements of impeachment requests. Once confirmed, the file is then forwarded to the Oversight Commission. He clarified that the CAL lacks the legal authority to rule on the merits of impeachment requests beyond assessing their formal aspects. In a press statement, Kronfle noted that the assemblywoman Gissela Garzón, the rapporteur, had corrected evidence for the process.

However, Kronfle distanced himself from the impeachment case against Salazar, stating that the presented evidence does not convince him personally. He clarified that within the Legislature, there is no pact but a majority agreement transparent to Ecuador, emphasizing a logical distribution to adhere to the law.

In the same session, political trials against former Ministers of Energy, Fernando Santos, and of the Interior, Juan Zapata, were reviewed and approved. These requests join the list of six pending processes in the Oversight Commission, overseen by Correísta legislator Pamela Aguirre. Consequently, the Citizen Revolution’s request regarding Salazar is relegated to ninth place in the order of priority, delaying its initiation within the Commission and potentially reaching the plenary session of the Legislature.

However, larger political groups, including the Social Christian Party, Construye movement, and the ruling party, rejected Correismo’s intent to dismiss prosecutor Salazar. The Prosecutor’s Office responded critically to the CAL’s decision, highlighting that the Legislative Technical Unit had warned that the request did not meet constitutional requirements. The Office reiterated that the vote demonstrated a “flagrant transgression of the principle of independence of functions” and emphasized the petition’s lack of factual and legal arguments.

Noboa’s stance on Salazar’s impeachment

President Daniel Noboa, in his first television interview since assuming office in November, addressed the impeachment trial against Prosecutor Diana Salazar. Noboa, while briefly touching on other matters, reiterated that the ADN alliance bench, his party, would not support the impeachment process in the Legislature.

Noboa clarified that although the CAL could process the request for prosecution, it did not imply the government bench’s endorsement or votes to remove Salazar. He emphasized that the legislative agreement between the ADN alliance and other parties did not include support for the trial against Salazar or impunity for convicted officials.

“Impunity for no one,” declared President Noboa, stressing that there should be uniformity in holding individuals accountable, regardless of their political affiliation. Responding to questions about potential ‘hidden’ pacts in the Legislature, Noboa asserted that ideological impunity should not be tolerated.

Concluding his 42-minute speech, one of his longest since taking office, President Noboa acknowledged that moments of agreement and disagreement between the government and the Assembly were inevitable. However, he extended an invitation for collaboration, asserting that spaces for cooperation were open, aiming to establish greater governance than in the past.