The transnational organized crime network controlled by Cuba suffered its most significant setback in Ecuador when President Lenín Moreno abandoned the Castro-Chavista model and began restoring the essential elements of democracy. Consequently, he became the target of attacks, coup attempts, and acts of aggression, but he fulfilled his term in office through free and fair elections. Since then, the dismantling of "Correism" – the Ecuadorian version of 21st-century socialism – has continued, but the criminal apparatus that remains in power has launched a judicial persecution and a smear campaign against Lenín Moreno and his family.
Moreno came to the presidency of Ecuador as a left-wing figure accepted by Rafael Correa. He served as Correa's vice president from 2007 to 2013 and was part of the government structure of the Alianza País party, the Ecuadorian expression of 21st-century socialism. His popularity within the regime forced the dictator, who was already ineligible for re-election, to nominate him as a presidential candidate for the 2017-2021 term, despite Correa's desire to support Jorge Glass, whom he appointed as vice president.
After being elected president in a runoff election, Moreno assumed the presidency of Ecuador from May 24, 2017, to May 24, 2021. However, during his presidency, he changed his position regarding Correism and its system of "electoral dictatorship," implementing drastic changes to restore the essential elements of democracy and to dismantle...
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Lenin Moreno, former president of Ecuador (AP/Bebeto Matthews)The transnational organized crime system under Cuban control suffered its most serious defeat in Ecuador when President Lenin Moreno abandoned the Castro-Chavista model and began restoring the essential elements of democracy. This is why he was the target of attacks, coups, and aggression, but he fulfilled his mandate with free elections. Since then, the dismantling of Correism—the Ecuadorian version of 21st-century socialism—has not ceased, but its criminal apparatus, which remains in power, has unleashed a judicial persecution and character assassination campaign against Lenin Moreno and his family. Moreno came to the presidency of Ecuador as a leftist figure accepted by Rafael Correa. He was his vice president from 2007 to 2013 and belonged to the structure of the Alianza País government, the Ecuadorian expression of 21st-century socialism. His popularity within the regime forced the dictator, who was no longer eligible for reelection, to make him a presidential candidate for the 2017-2021 period, despite Correa's desire to support Jorge Glass, whom he appointed as vice president. After being elected president in the second round, he assumed the presidency of Ecuador from May 24, 2017, to May 24, 2021, but during his term, he changed his position regarding Correism and its system of "electoral dictatorship," making drastic changes to restore the essential elements of democracy and dismantle the narco-state. This was considered "a shift to the center and towards neoliberal economic policies," with significant changes in domestic and international policy. With Moreno's break with Correa and Castro-Chavism, freedom of the press, which had been suppressed under the Correa regime, returned to Ecuador. This included cases such as the newspaper El Universo, journalists Emilio Palacio, Cristian Zurita, Jorge Ortiz, Juan Carlos Calderon, Diego Oquendo, and others, the murder of Fausto Pérez, the confiscation of television channels, and other incidents. Political prisoners were able to gain their freedom, with notable cases such as that of Galo Lara, the "ten of Luluncoto," Fernando Valda, and others. Political persecution and exile ceased, actions that had been carried out from the presidency, such as those targeting Fernando Villavicencio, Clever Jiménez, the assemblywoman Lourdes Tiban, those convicted of applauding, and the cartoonist Bonil, who was prosecuted. Under the Correa regime, human rights were violated through the justice system, with prosecutors and judges acting as executioners and enforcers, an extension of Cuba and Venezuela in the same model imposed in those dictatorships, as well as in Nicaragua with Daniel Ortega and Murillo, and in Bolivia with Evo Morales and Arce. Correa turned Ecuador into a narco-state by expelling the DEA, closing the Manta anti-narcotics base, and expelling the US ambassador and cooperation. At the same time, similar actions were taken in Venezuela and Bolivia. Moreno restored the fight against drug trafficking, cooperation with the United States, and took notable measures such as the expulsion of Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Lenin Moreno made progress in restoring fundamental rights, the rule of law, and the separation and independence of the public powers, but he failed to dismantle the Correist judicial and intelligence apparatus. He restored guarantees of free political association and carried out free national elections, in which his 2017 rival, Guillermo Laso, was elected president in 2021. In this environment, investigations and the conviction of Rafael Correa, Jorge Glass, and others became possible, and they now have final sentences. The dismantling of the narco-state in which the 21st-century socialism, with Correa as its operator, transformed Ecuador—which began with Lenin Moreno—has not ended. It continues, but it has been attacked in every way, to the point that he ended his term with the lowest approval rating the country has ever recorded. In general, measures taken by statesmen are not popular, and Moreno's role was to implement unpopular but necessary changes. He has returned to his homeland to defend himself and may be a victim of the revenge of the system he began to dismantle. *Lawyer and political scientist. Director of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy www.carlossanchezberzain.com