Final phase of impeachment proceedings against Chancellor Gabriela Sommerfeld begins

▲ The assemblywoman of the Citizen Revolution party hopes that the Legislative Branch recognizes the violation of the Magna Carta by invading the diplomatic house of Mexico.Photo Orlando Perez

Orlando Perez

Special for La Jornada

The newspaper La Jornada
Friday, July 26, 2024, p. 27

Quito. The chancellor Ecuadorian President ––and therefore the government of Daniel Noboa–– is currently facing the process of an impeachment trial in the National Assembly that, if carried out, with a sanction could leave Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero out of all political activity, who has defended the invasion of the Mexican embassy in Quito and the kidnapping of former vice president Jorge Glas, perpetrated on April 5.

Prior to this process, which entails a first stage of substantiation of a maximum of one month, the chancellor rejected the accusation of an alleged breach of duties, through a letter published on social networks before the first phase of the impeachment trial begins in the Assembly’s Oversight Committee.

The charges against him are those detailed by assemblywoman Jhajaira Urresta, of the Citizen Revolution movement, in the following interview, but which Sommerfeld denies responsibility for: We have faced with dedication the process that Mexico presented against Ecuador in the International Court of Justice, the same one that is not far from the one presented against me in the Assembly in its arguments.. And that’s why, for her and her government: This makes the impeachment a process that is not against Gabriela Sommerfeld, but against our country, Ecuador..

–What is the main legal and constitutional argument for impeaching the chancellor?

–The main argument has been the obvious (and even cynical) one: failure to comply with the functions conferred by the Constitution of the Republic and the Organic Law of the Foreign Service. According to the Organic Law of the Legislative Function, impeachment in Ecuador is a control mechanism that the National Assembly exercises over different officials who hold the Executive, Electoral, Transparency and Social Control powers. Although the impeachment has been raised for failure to comply with functions, there are three main motivations: 1. The violent and unjustified irruption into the Mexican embassy in Ecuador. 2. The refusal to grant safe conduct to a citizen who was already in political asylum status. 3. The shameful impasse with Russia.

–If a political sanction is implemented, would you support Mexico’s thesis of imposing sanctions on Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

–Both Ecuador and Mexico have presented their arguments before the ICJ and, contrary to what the government has wanted to position before these days of the impeachment of Sommerfeld, neither the Citizen Revolution bench nor I intend to affect this process, which is already in the relevant international instances. It is important to make clear that when the request for impeachment was presented, it was made against the person who is supposed to be responsible for foreign policy, Gabriela Sommerfeld. This trial is not against the Foreign Ministry and much less against the country.

–What sanction does this imply for the chancellor on a personal level?

–Undoubtedly, what we public servants do in our workplaces significantly influences our personal lives. That is why there are public servants who fulfill their obligations and others who do not. The censure and dismissal that he will receive is the least he deserves for his irresponsibility in handling foreign policy. Let us remember that those most affected have been our migrants, who not only had an embassy taken away from them, but were also left defenseless, and in the middle of a diplomatic conflict that could have been avoided. However, I believe that Sommerfeld, after this, will return to being what he has always been: part of one of the wealthiest families in the country, only now the National Assembly will have in its hands the decision of whether he continues to do so with the resources of Ecuadorians or not.

–Is President Daniel Noboa in a position to accept or reject what the National Assembly decides?

–Noboa has already shown us on repeated occasions that he is not capable of complying with what the law determines, not even international treaties. Let us hope that this time, beyond complying with what the Legislature determines, he can recognize that he has an official in one of the most important portfolios in the country who is not qualified for such a role, and that, as he maintains in his defense, if her role is merely to advise him, he should recognize that he did not choose the right person.

–Have the political forces already taken a position on the issue and it seems that there are not enough votes for a sanction?

–Yes, but it is also true that they have not yet heard my defense regarding the evidence presented that shows the failure of Minister Sommerfeld to fulfill her duties. I do not assume that there are no votes when we, who are the ones representing the people, know firsthand what the irresponsible actions of this government have done to our people, to our migrants, to our students abroad. It would seem to me to be irresponsible to maintain that position without having heard what I have to say. I have worked day and night to represent the interests of the people and with the same enthusiasm I will defend my position in the face of this impeachment.