Case Correa opens the breach in relations between Ecuador and Bolivia and Venezuela

Quito.- Investigations of former President Rafael Correa for a case of attempted kidnapping of an Ecuadorian politician in 2012, opened a breach in the relations of l & # 39; Ecuador with its former close allies, Venezuela and Bolivia. A follower of the so-called socialism of the 21st century, Correa maintained during his decade of government (2007-2017) a very close relationship with the presidents of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, of the same ideological line, and Maduro and Morales have criticized the National Court of Justice's request for his arrest and pre-trial detention against Correa as part of investigations into the attempted kidnapping of Fernando Balda exlegislator in Colombia.

In an immediate response, the government of Lenin Moreno sent "formal notes of protest" to La Paz and Caracas from which a so-called politicization of justice was denounced, the alleged interference of the United States in judicial action and an apparent persecution "progressive leaders" of the region.

For the anthropologist Andrés Abad, the reactions of Maduro and Morales are "understandable" for the friendship with Correa, so he sees a "feeling of loyalty", and believes that both "ignore" that the current Ecuadorian government "guarantees the independence of the powers, the independence of the justice and the freedom of the press and the expression".

The protest of Quito was followed by a protest by Venezuela through a diplomatic note on its so-called "interventionist positions" in the domestic politics and sovereign decisions of the country, a reaction that abad is not lacking because , according to him, Maduro "admits no criticism".

Dean of the Center of Government and Public Administration of the Institute of National High Studies of Ecuador (IAEN), Abad assures that "we should not be Surprised by Maduro's "utterly belligerent" attitude to the Ecuadorian government after stalemate this week.

Although he acknowledges that many do not justify it, he considers "acceptable" that the Moreno-led executive has maintained since its inception in May 2017 a position of "caution However, after the May presidential elections in Venezuela, Moreno publicly expressed his concern for the situation in that country for the first time and formulated an initiative to carry it out. a consultation in Venezuela under international supervision to ratify the re-election of Maduro.

Abbot, Doctor of Administration of Andina Simón Bolívar University, believes that the protest letters are clear evidence that Moreno's "prudent" position "will most likely change" as the # The accusation of alleged political persecution against Correa "is a direct affront to President Lenin Moreno." For Abad, mixing a general level of politics and justice is a strategy of those who "are involved in irregularities with justice" to "present themselves as victims, whereas in reality they must react to their actions in an absolutely independent and fair process, "he says.

Stresses that if it is dealt with from a diplomatic and not a political point of view, the case could be in a dead end, but by the allegations about the alleged political persecution, "the most likely is that a government distancing", without reaching a break, speculates.

But, the doctor in political and constitutional studies of the University from Alicante (Spain) Napoleon Saltos, assesses for Efe that the current situation with Bolivia and Venezuela will decrease because "over the days, the theme of Correa will take its true dimension. "