Presidency insists that an apology is mandatory

Clever Jimenez will not pay

After a day of learning of the decision of the judge of the Criminal Chamber of the National Court of Justice (CNJ), Lucy Blacio, against Assemblyman Clever Jimenez (Pachakutik), and activists Fernando Villanvicencio and Carlos Figueroa, the legal secretary of the Presidency, Alexis Mera, insisted that the accused should publicly apologize to the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa.

“What he should do is apologize to the president, saying, ‘Mr. President, you lie you invented a kidnapping, a lie that you ordered to shoot to do a show, it’s a lie that you orchestrated a kidnapping, it’s a lie that you ordered to shoot to make a show, it’s a lied that you entered and left the hospital on September 30… ‘; he should apologize and end this issue,” said Mera during an interview with the seized channel Gamatv, when asked if Villavicencio could be packing their bags to leave the country.

Both Jimenez and Villavicencio were sentenced to 18 months in prison, while Figueroa only to six for the crime of libel accusations. The resolution also includes the payment of financial compensation reaching $ 100 000 and an order for issuing a public apology to the head of state by making allegedly false statements on September 30, 2010.

For his part reaffirmed that those convicted will not apologize because they did not lied in their statements. “I will not give a penny to the President, and even less offer him public apologies,” Jimenez said.