Navy captain who was dismissed for writing a letter to Correa is reinstated by a Guayas court

Jan 22, 2025 | 0 comments

A Navy captain who lost his job after he wrote to former president Rafael Correa has been reinstated by a Guayas provincial court. Edwin Ortega was temporarily jailed and then discharged from service in 2016 by the Naval Command for “carrying out acts of manifest violence or indiscipline against a superior even if the act does not constitute a crime.”

Navy Captain Edwin Ortega

In his letter to the president, Ortega objected to the government withdrawing $41 million from the military retirement fund for the purchase of park land in Guayaquil. According to Ortega’s appeal of an earlier dismissal of his case, he was one of several military personnel who wrote Correa criticizing the withdrawal. In his letter Ortega said the money in the retirement fund (ISSFA) was contributed directly by military personnel and should not be used for other state expenses.

“After nine long years of struggle and during the time of three governments, I have finally managed to see the light of justice,” Ortega said on his X account Tuesday.

In its decision, a three-judge panel claimed that Correa, the Defense Ministry and Naval Command violated Ortega’s right to free expression and called his 10 days of incarceration inhumane and without justification. “In addition, the appellant’s rights to freedom of expression, defense, honor, due process and legal security were violated, adversely affecting his life.”

The court added that Ortega’s letter contained no threats and was “courteous in tone” and that other letters to the president regarding the ISSFA withdrawal made similar objections.

The court ordered that Ortega be immediately reinstated in his former position “if he so chooses” and that the Naval Command present a public apology for its actions against him.

Following the court’s decision, a spokesman for the Naval Command said the decision to jail and dismiss Ortega was a result of a direct command from Correa and was not initiated by the Navy or the armed forces.