Noboa suspends Vice President Abad until she reports for duty in Turkey; Abad calls it ‘legal heresy’

President Daniel Noboa has suspended Vice President Verónica Abad for failing to report for new duties as economic liaison to Turkey, a move Abad is calling “legal heresy.” It is the second suspension of her vice-presidential duties in three months, the first coming by order of the Labor Ministry for her delay in relocating to Turkey from Israel last year.

Vice President Verónica Abad called her suspension by President Daniel Noboa’s “legal heresy” on Tuesday.

The president named Sariha Moya, National Secretary of Planning, as interim vice president.

Following a December 22 court decision disallowing the ministry’s 150-day suspension and reinstating Abad as vice president, Noboa ordered her to report to Ankara as “economic advisor and liaison on economic matters” by December 27. Abad responded, notifying Noboa that she was taking vacation leave and would report to her new position within the 30 days allowed for diplomatic reassignment.

Abad called her new suspension “absolutely unconstitutional, arbitrary and invalid,” citing the fact that Noboa’s presidential decree acknowledged her right for 30 days to assume her new duties. “Presidential decree 490 says the suspension is until January 22, which is the end of the 30-day allowance diplomats have to take a new posting.”

Noboa and Abad have been at odds since shortly after the 2022 cross death election, Noboa claiming he was not aware of her “fascist leanings” when he chose her as running mate. Abad called the claim “wrong and irrational.” Instead of allowing her to assume vice-presidential duties in Quito, Noboa assigned her to the ambassadorship to Israel early last year and later ordered her to Turkey during missile attacks by Hamas on Tel Aviv.

Adding to the friction between the two is the constitutional requirement that candidates running for reelection, as Noboa plans to do, take unpaid leave during the campaign and be replaced by an alternate, Adad in Noboa’s case.

At a Guayaquil press conference Wednesday, Government Minister José de la Gasca said Abad’s temporary assumption of presidential duties “is no longer an issue,” since Noboa does not plan to take leave for the campaign. “Based on the 2010 ruling by the Constitutional Court, the president is not required to relinquish his duties,” de la Gasca said. “This is not a case of reelection since the court ruled that under the cross death, the candidate would simply be filling the remainder of his predecessor’s term.”

De la Gasca acknowledged the court ruling disallowing the Labor Ministry’s suspension of Abad and reinstating her vice-presidential status, but claimed Noboa’s order that Abad assume new duties in Turkey by December 22 was valid. “By ignoring decree 490, the former vice president is showing non-compliance and contempt for the president’s authority,” de la Gasca said. “When she reports to Ankara and begins to exercise her new duties, her suspension will end.”

On Thursday, Abad said she still expects to assume presidential duties when Noboa begins his campaign January 5. “I am standing by to take on executive functions when he steps aside, as required by the constitution, for the campaign.”

On Friday morning, Abad’s attorneys filed a non-compliance appeal against Noboa in the Constitutional Court.