Experts Alarmed At Reported Political Harassment And Persecution Against Ecuador’s Vice President

GENEVA (18 February 2025) –Independent human rights experts* today expressed deep concern about reported political, administrative and judicial harassment of Ecuador’s Vice-President María Verónica Abad Rojas, and the specific and gender-differentiated nature of these attacks.

“Vice-President Abad’s case appears to be an alarming precedent that jeopardises the democratic character of elections in Ecuador, undermines women’s participation in public life and violates fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination,” the experts said.

The experts noted that the measures reportedly taken against Vice-President Abad, including her arbitrary removal from office, the misuse of administrative sanctions and the judicial persecution of her family, would constitute serious violations of her political rights and of the rule of law. Such actions would be contrary to Ecuador's international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR).

“Since her inauguration in 2023, Vice-President Abad has reportedly faced a series of coercive measures, including her appointment as ‘Ambassador for Peace’ in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without adequate resources, and her forced transfer to Israel and later to Turkey, which compromised her personal and family security,” the experts said. They added that in September 2024, the government reportedly initiated an irregular administrative procedure against her for “unjustified abandonment of office”, even though her absence was the result of a government executive order.

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The experts noted that on 8 November 2024, the Ministry of Labour reportedly issued a resolution ordering her suspension without pay for 150 days, in blatant disregard for the Ecuadorian Constitution. “Despite the fact that the Ecuadorian justice system declared these measures unconstitutional, the executive has reportedly maintained the suspension, going so far as to have the military block her access to the Vice Presidency,” they said.

The experts also expressed concern about the reported arbitrary detention of the Vice-President's eldest son, Francisco Sebastián Barreiro Abad, for 46 days, and of his lawyer, who was arrested in January 2025.

“These actions appear to constitute an improper use of the judicial system to repress and silence a high-ranking State official and her legal team, in violation of the principles of due process and judicial independence,” the experts said.

They stressed that the situation was aggravated by the electoral context in which the President of the Republic reportedly refused to leave office during the election campaign, contrary to the Constitution, and appointed a successor without electoral legitimacy, instead of allowing Vice-President Abad to assume the presidency.

The experts called on Ecuadorian authorities to comply with court rulings to restore the rights of Vice-President Abad and ensure a free and transparent electoral process.

“Failure to comply with court rulings, political persecution and manipulation of the judicial system are incompatible with the fundamental principles of international law and must cease immediately,” the experts said.

Note:

*The experts: Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent fromany government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

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