On 23 October 2019, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) called on Ecuadorian national authorities, including the Presidency of the National Assembly, to guarantee respect for the fundamental rights of parliamentarians in the exercise of their civil and political rights.
Ecuadorian lawmakers, who have expressed a political line closer to that of former President Correa, are being attacked and deprived of their civil and political rights as democratically elected members of the National Assembly. Among them, is Asambleísta Soledad Buendía, chairperson of the PGA National Group in Ecuador.
Asambleísta Buendía has suffered serious violations of her physical and psychological integrity due to her political line. Death threats, persecution and media lynching are some examples of the harassment that has forced her to seek protection in Mexico City under political asylum. Since the COVID-19 health emergency, Ms. Buendía expresses that her rights as a legislator have not been respected, preventing her from participating in the virtual parliamentary sessions recently scheduled. This is in addition to the fact that, after being under international protection, her salary has been administratively withdrawn. Below, you will find the testimony of Asambleísta Buendía in which she recounts the systematic violence she has suffered.
In light of the recent declarations issued by the member of our network, PGA reiterates that political persecution is contrary to the national and international rule of law and urges all national institutions of Ecuador to respect the fundamental rights of elected representatives of the people.
TESTIMONY BY ASSEMBLYWOMAN SOLEAD BUENDIA
María Soledad Buendía Herdoíza, ID 1710086685, female. In my capacity as an elected member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Ecuador for the period of 2017 to 2021, in the exercise of my personal rights, I hereby present the testimony to Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), network of which I am a member.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Due to my political position, I have been a victim of constant persecution, the lynching by the media, false accusations and threats for more than two years. The death threats began months ago and were reported to the competent authorities, such as the Office of the Prosecutor. Harassment and identity theft followed, which were also reported to the Office of the Prosecutor. Subsequently, making use of information linked to my personal identity, two armed men managed to enter my office at the National Assembly, which was reported to the President of the National Assembly. I was a victim of attacks and insults on social media. A bomb threat was made in the housing complex where I reside.
Violence against legislators of our political group increased in the context of the national strike. On 9 October 2019, we were accused on national television by the President of the Republic of being “unscrupulous leaders with a firm interest: undermine the stability of the country, by altering the democratic order”. They shared pictures of our faces and our publications on social media. On 14 October, raids, extrajudicial surveillance and the imprisonment of several leaders took place. That day, as I was leaving my house, I realized that I was being followed. A few minutes later, I received another threatening call. In despair, with my husband, we went to the Mexican embassy where they helped us and gave us protection. Today, I am in Mexico City under political asylum.
Far from giving me protection and respecting my rights as a legislator, the National Assembly has violated my fundamental rights. Since I am under international protection, the President of Parliament has administratively withdrawn my salary and has prevented me from participating in the virtual parliamentary sessions scheduled during the COVID-19 health emergency.
Ecuadorian women still face multiple forms of gender-based violence that, despite being carried out systematically, do not constitute a pressing issue for public institutions, since they are classified as isolated events that concern the private sphere which must be faced individually by each victim, promoting the naturalization of violence against women.
I have been the victim of a number of attacks, insults, humiliation and harassment due solely to my being a woman politician, which have been carried out by people - hitherto unidentified - who use technological means especially, such as social networks, information portals and opinion platforms; generating, reproducing and transmitting false and slanderous information, opinions, notes, images and videos with which it is intended to degrade my personal and public image using gender stereotypes and permanently and systematically affecting my human rights to personal, mental and moral integrity, to live a life free of violence in the public and private spheres, to equality, to non-discrimination and to my right to honor and good name, which are rights contemplated and guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador and international instruments.
Ecuadorian digital media and social networks (especially Twitter and Facebook) have become an instrument used by political detractors to compulsively promote the exercise of flagrant psychological violence against me as a woman politician and a public person, since the constant publications are aimed at causing emotional damage, lowering my self-esteem, affecting my honor, causing discredit, belittling my personal dignity, disturbing me, degrading me, questioning my beliefs, criteria or decisions through humiliation, affecting my psychological and emotional stability. I am harassed with words, acts, comments and caricatures disseminated through electronic messages with the clear intention of persecuting and degrading me due to my condition as a woman, trying to nullify my dignity, my prestige and not only my personal psychological and emotional integrity, but also that of my family.
Violation of rights by the National Assembly
Before the attacks in the mainstream media and social media platforms, as a member of the National Assembly elected by the Ecuadorian people, on 21 October 2019 I asked the President of the National Assembly to respect the rules, due process, and guarantees of full exercise to the right to a legitimate defense. However, on 22 October 2019, without responding to my request and without allowing me to argue my state of vulnerability, the Legislative Administration Council decided to suspend the payment of the salaries of the legislators, now asylees at the Embassy of Mexico.
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Sobre la situación de varios Legisladores, hemos resuelto en el #CAL:
— César Litardo (@cesarlitardo) October 22, 2019
Suspender el pago del sueldo a los Asambleístas asilados en la Embajada de México. De igual manera al Asambleísta Yofre Poma, durante el tiempo que dure la privación de su libertad. pic.twitter.com/uMx0GCEsLF
Notice of departure from the National Assembly by the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute
After resolution N° CAL-2019-2021-111 issued by the Legislative Administration Council, on 24 October 2019, in which the provisional appointment of alternate members of the National Assembly and the suspension of the salaries of the main members of the National Assembly was approved, a notification was sent to me on 31 October 2019, informing me of my departure from the National Assembly. This is a clear violation of my rights.
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Notification to the National Assembly
I am summoned to appear before the Special Occasional Multiparty Commission and give a version of the events that occurred during the national strike. However, I was unable to contribute to the case, since I was in poor health at the time.
Political asylum
The Mexican government, after receiving my request made on 14 October 2019, immediately granted me protection and political asylum on 6 November 2019, along with my husband Edwin Jarrín, and immediately requests the corresponding safe-conduct from the Ecuadorian government. On 9 January 2020, I travel to Mexico under the protection of the Mexican government, where I live with permanent residence until I can return to my country.
Assembly violates my rights: participation in plenary sessions during COVID-19 crisis
I have been duly summoned by email to Session 659 of the National Assembly plenary session, in accordance with the provisions of articles 5, 6 and 7 of the Regulations for the implementation of virtual sessions and telework contained in Resolution CAL-2019-2021-213. On 24 March 2020, I was denied my right to participate despite being an elected member of the National Assembly for the period 2017-2021.