Ecuador’s Vice President to Serve as Collaborator for Peace in Israel
The vice president of Ecuador, Verónica Abad, has reluctantly accepted an unusual assignment from President Daniel Noboa: to go to Israel and serve as a collaborator for peace. This decision marks the first action taken by Noboa since he took office on November 23. Abad publicly acknowledged that she quickly understood the message behind this assignment, expressing that “The president wants me away.”
This unusual split between the president and vice president became evident since they surprisingly won a place in the second round of elections in August. Their lack of synergy was apparent during the campaign where they rarely made joint appearances. Their differences ultimately stemmed from legislative agreements reached by their coalition parties, PID and Mover, with Rafael Correa’s Citizen Revolution.
Abad has now agreed to engage in diplomatic functions by mediating peace discussions between Israel and Palestine. This decision comes after a restructure of the Vice President’s office by President Noboa, showing his intent to reduce it to a minimum.
This particular move by Noboa has raised eyebrows, as it is the first time that Ecuador’s vice president has been granted such heavy diplomatic responsibilities. In the meantime, the communications secretary of the presidency has ordered the chancellor to coordinate with Abad for the necessary actions to fulfill this mission.
The vice president’s willingness to take on this challenge and negotiate peace efforts in the interest of upholding constitutional stability is a significant development in Ecuador’s political landscape.