A former Rafael Correa official accused of corruption took refuge in the Argentine embassy in Quito

Natasha Niebieskikwiat

08/13/2020 - 18:55

• Clarín.com
• Politics

The Foreign Ministry confirmed to Clarín today that María de los Ángeles Duarte, former Minister of Public Works of former President Rafael Correa , took refuge in the Argentine embassy in Quito. 

Duarte Pesrantes is sentenced in the first instance for corruption in Ecuador. And as this newspaper learned, she entered the residence of the Embassy of Argentina to request asylum. She was tried and sentenced in the framework of the case known as "Bribes" , for which the former Ecuadorian president, a personal friend of former President Cristina Kirchner, and close to the current head of state, Alberto Fernández, is also on trial.

By the way, both the Argentine president and Cristina Kirchner have affirmed that Correa is one of the "victims" of the so-called "lawfare", the alleged judicial persecution for political purposes, in particular in the cases of corruption that led several Latin American leaders, such as the Ecuadorian and the Argentine vice president today.

The National Court of Justice (CNJ) of Ecuador ratified the sentence of eight years in prison for a crime of bribery and to pay compensation as the "author" of the same to former President Rafael Correa, accused of the case "Bribes 2012-2016" .

After two weeks of deliberation, the Ecuadorian Court upheld the judgment issued in the first instance against the former president and the majority of the 18 convicted in the file.

Diplomatic sources said the charge d'affaires of Argentina in Quito confirmed that Duarte is in the residence as a "guest for humanitarian reasons" . It is not ruled out that they grant him political refuge, like former Bolivian president Evo Morales, who has been in Buenos Aires since November.

The Casa Rosada does not have good relations with the administration of Lenin Moreno, today Correa's enemy. Furthermore, there is still no ambassador appointed in Quito. Clarín knows that Argentina tried to send a politician who was rejected by the Moreno government. His name is unknown.