Attorney General Salazar steps down after six years

The prosecutor of some of the most dramatic criminal cases in Ecuador history, Attorney General Diana Salazar, announced her resignation Tuesday. In a video statement, she said it was time to move on and allow “new leadership” to take command. “Clinging to the office does not do the country or myself any good,” she said.

Attorney General Diana Salazar announced her resignation Tuesday.

During her six-year tenure, Salazar focused on public corruption and, most recently, corruption within the judicial system. She prosecuted cases against three presidents, dozens of judges and hundreds of other public employees, many of them for accepting bribes from criminal organizations.

Deputy Attorney General Wilson Toainga will serve as interim attorney general until the Council of Citizen Participation (Cpccs) names a permanent replacement. It is believed Toainga will be a candidate for the position.

Salazar joined the Attorney General’s office out of law school in 2001, first working as an assistant prosecutor before heading the office’s anti-corruption section in 2012. Among her high-profile cases were those against three presidents, Rafael Correa, Lenin Moreno and Guillermo Lasso, and the president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation.

Many of Salazar’s cases have been controversial and she has been accused of carrying out a vendetta against Correa and members of his government. She has been the target of racial attacks on several occasions.

Since 2022, Salazar has received numerous death threats and says they have taken a “heavy toll” on her mental and physical health. She and her family have had 24-hour police protection since early 2023 and she has worn a bullet-proof vest in her public appearances.

Because of the threats, she said she will live outside of Ecuador until she feels it is safe to return. “This is very sad situation, but my first concern is protecting my family,” she said in an interview after her resignation announcement.

Although Salazar received dozens of tributes following her announcement, several critics lodged complaints about her record. “I have a message for you, Diana. You may be able to escape human justice, but remember that never, ever will you escape the hand of God,” defeated Citizens Revolution presidential candidate Luisa González posted on her X account.