A Spanish newspaper called El Debate claims that President Daniel Noboa had a disrespectful attitude during his stay in Madrid last January.
President Daniel Noboa (center), with part of the delegation that was with him in Madrid, Spain, on January 26, 2024.
The Ecuadorian Government denied, on March 21, 2024, that it had received “any communication from the government of Spain” due to an alleged “disrespectful” attitude of President Daniel Noboa during his visit to that country last January.
It took just over two hours for the Foreign Ministry to issue an official statement to refer to the news from the Spanish media El Debate that recounts an alleged party and the improper use of the police escort during the president’s visit.
According to the Spanish media, an alleged scandal caused by President Noboa in a restaurant in Madrid would have motivated the complaint from the Spanish Foreign Ministry to the Ecuadorian Embassy.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry “categorically” rejected the press release “since it lacks any veracity.” “The assertions of the Spanish media are false and seek to damage the good image of the National Government,” he added.
And he assured that the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied this information. According to Diario Expreso, the entity denied that there was a formal complaint.
“We directly take care of the diplomatic part and when the work agenda ends we do not have any type of support or anything similar, if the events happened we do not have to know,” the newspaper reported.
In the report, it is stated that the President asked to be taken to a ‘party’ when he left a restaurant, where he had just had dinner.
Furthermore, at this dinner, there were other people linked to the Government who appear in the presidential delegation on the trip to Spain, as stated in the official decree.
Among those attending this dinner, in which Noboa allegedly ‘threw bills into the air’ , would have been the Presidency advisor, Diana Jácome Silva; the undersecretary of the Presidential Office, Cynthia Gellibert, and the ambassador of Ecuador in Spain, Wilma Andrade.
The newspaper also mentions the questioned Minister of the Environment, Sade Fritschi.
The publication also says that, at the time of the incident, the Ecuadorian president would have been using a Mercedes Benz W220 vehicle lent by King Felipe VI.
Assembly members demand accounts
What happened in Spain has motivated reactions in the Assembly, and one of the first to refer to the issue was the Correismo legislator, Blasco Luna.
Luna told the media this Thursday that the Assembly should issue a statement, “taking into account that even relatives of political actors in the Legislature are mentioned.”
In addition, he urged the Assembly to summon the officials named in the Spanish newspaper’s report to give their version of the events.
“Hopefully, the Assembly is up to the task in its oversight action and makes a statement and appeals to all those involved, because there are also those who are ambassadors there who have applauded and have said absolutely nothing, for taking care of the position” , added the runner.
Ramiro Vela, who is part of the ADN bench, said that it will be necessary to consult what President Noboa’s agenda was in Spain. Also, what type of support does the Spanish media have.
