Captain sentenced to prison for rebellion in the 30S

Marco Zuñiga (L)

The Criminal Court of Pichincha sentenced Captain Marco Zuniga, on October 29, to four years in prison for the crime of rebellion in the Quito Regiment No. 1 due to the Police insurrection of September 30, 2010.

Despite the releases presented by the defense of the officer, the Court held that this did not present enough evidence or documents that may reduce the sentence. The judges accused the former captain of the police of publicly declaring at the air base Mariscal Sucre of Quito that the protest had its reason for being in opposition to the new Public Service Act.

According to the former officer, his statement was to support the police who asked such derogatory. Marco Z. explained that he went to the Air Base, but was closed and that he did not went to the Regiment of Quito, where some of the violence occurred. “I was outside the Air Base outside and there I gave my statement,” he stated.

The prosecutor, Maria Susana Rodriguez, showed video records where the defendant gave statements to the media. According to the prosecution, this expressed their dissatisfaction with the approval of the law governing police promotions and decorations.

“All I did was wait for the provisions of higher authorities as generals and colonels who themselves were concentrated in the Regiment and they were never punished,” he reproached.

The crime of rebellion was supported, according to the Court, in Articles 218 and 221 of the Penal Code, therefore, according to the prosecution, the former official “actively participated in the September 30th Movement and failed to fulfill orders that the President Rafael Correa asked to depose the measure.”