Retired and dedicated to housework, Rafael Correa is convinced that there will be no extradition | Policy | news

For a "folkloric detail", former president Rafael Correa can leave Belgium for the time being only he confessed in an interview to Colombian radio W Radio Wednesday, although he states that Ecuadorian extradition brings him back to the country. Politics

In interviews from his home near Brussels, Correa reiterated that he had no intention of appearing before the Ecuadorian authorities to investigate his possible links with the country. missed removal in 2012 of ex-legislator Fernando Balda. Although he does not want to talk about him expressly, he says his officials have probably exceeded their duties, and although he does not want to give more importance to the case, he claims to have been slandered by the current Prosecutor by mixing the deportation with a supposed kidnapping.

The Attorney General of Ecuador this week asked for the arrest and extradition of Correa after the former president of 55 did not appear in court in Quito on July 2 as required by the terms of investigation in the so-called Balda Case

Although the former president can no longer leave Belgium, Rafael Correa made several trips during the last months of 2018: he was in Argentina on March 21, 2018; In April, he was in Valencia, Murcia, Alicante, Madrid and finished his tour in Spain on April 13th.

On April 20, he was in Cuba, the day after the possession of Raúl Castro's successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel. On May 18, he was in Venezuela to accompany the presidential election

In Russia, on the occasion of the beginning of the World Cup, Correa was captured in front of a stadium on June 14, 2018. [19659002] Moreno Treason

Correa stated that the case is motivated by political reasons, to imprison him or prevent him from returning. "I can not return to Ecuador in the next eight or ten years" if the case continues, he said in the interview that he gave in English to The Associated Press.

He added that Ecuador has ceased to be a functional democracy. that the government controls the judiciary. He described as a traitor the current president Lenin Moreno, who was previously his vice president and ally, to whom he says he deny the government program for which the Ecuadorian people voted.

"There is no division of powers". there is already an independent judiciary in Ecuador. "

Read also: The defenders of Rafael Correa are no longer" invincible "

Since he left the presidency last year and s & # 39; Installs in Belgium, the country In June, the highest instance of Ecuador ordered the inclusion of Correa in an investigation into the failed abduction in 2012 of legislator Fernando Balda in Bogotá, in Colombia, where he had taken refuge after a dispute with the president.

Correa said that he had first been asked to report to the Ecuadorian Embbady in Belgium, but that the judge had intensified the situation by requiring that it appears the country

The extradition of Belgium is impossible

He insists that he does not doubt that the Belgian authorities will allow him to stay despite any request for extradition.In addition, according to the German press agency DW, Correa has already had contacts with lawyers in Brussels. One of them is Christophe Marchand, who was also one of the defenders of the Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who helped to get the Spanish state to withdraw the mandate of the government. international stop against Puigdemont.

He insisted on being ready to go to the Ecuadorian consulate every 15 days, as he did on July 2, but felt that extradition from Belgium was impossible, which is considered one of the European countries most opposed to this type of demand.

"The case is extremely political, very clearly, a country like Belgium in these cases will not allow anyone to attack the rights of a person who lives here, and I am extremely confident that this request will not be effective outside of Ecuador. " , he said.

Still, he will change his life in Belgium.

Read also : This is how Fernando Balda became a disciple of Rafael Correa to the accuser [1965900] 2] "I wanted to withdraw from politics for at least several I wanted a little peace for my family, "he said.

Instead – showing his mobile phone with 3.44 million followers in a country of 16 million people in sign of support – Correa says he feels he's forced watching now to defend oneself and return to political life. (I)