The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, has stated that Ecuadorian authorities are "dismantling a large structure of drug trafficking and money laundering that includes former president (of Colombia, Gustavo) Petro," in direct allusion to the former Colombian president. His statements come in response to the criticisms made by Petro after the arrest of the former Ecuadorian presidential candidate Luisa González, who is being investigated by the Prosecutor's Office for alleged irregularities in political financing and electoral spending during the 2023 campaign.
The former Colombian president reacted on social media relying on a message from former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, who had denounced González's arrest, and stated that "in Ecuador a true dictatorship is developing, which begins with an electoral fraud." He also added that "the so-called shield is not a shield against drug trafficking, but a shield against democracy."
A few hours later, Noboa responded in an interview with the Colombian magazine 'Semana', where he affirmed that the former leader "is going crazy and makes comments like that" because in Ecuador "we are dismantling a large structure of drug trafficking and money laundering that includes former president Petro." With these words, the head of the Ecuadorian State directly linked the criticisms of the former Colombian president with the ongoing investigations.
After the arrest of Luisa González, initially denounced by Rafael Correa and later confirmed by the leader herself, the Prosecutor's Office of Ecuador reported that the Police had executed arrest warrants in the provinces of Pichincha and Manabí "against three people investigated for their alleged participation in the crime of money laundering," although the total number of those investigated in this process amounts to seven. The case, known as Laberinto, focuses on the alleged illicit origin of certain funds.
According to the institution, "alleged irregularities in political financing and electoral spending on advertising during the 2023 presidential campaign are being investigated due to inconsistencies in the contributions and the lawful origin of the resources," within the framework of a file that seeks to clarify the origin of the money used in the electoral contest.
From the Ecuadorian Government, it has been rejected that these proceedings have an electoral background. The first vice president of the Assembly, Esteban Torres, has denied any political motivation in the Prosecutor's actions against González and has pointed out that "here the concept has been misunderstood that whoever is in politics is sanctified. It cannot be said that any investigation carried out during an electoral period is necessarily related. We are cautious, it is a preliminary investigation and we will be attentive to the case," insisting that it is a judicial process in the initial phase.