Ecuador Opposition Leader Luisa Gonzalez Arrested in Campaign-Finance Probe: Her Party Cries Political Persecution
QUITO — Ecuadorian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez was arrested on October 22, Reuters reported. Prosecutors say the investigation involves about $500,000 in advertising spending during the presidential campaign from May to August 2023, in which a network of companies allegedly channeled funds of undisclosed origin into her campaign. Seven people are under investigation in the case, code-named 'Laberinto,' three of them arrested, on suspicion of money laundering.
Gabriela Rivadeneira, president of Gonzalez's Revolución Ciudadana party, confirmed the arrest and called it political persecution of the opposition. Gonzalez herself called the accusations 'absurd' in a post on X. Former president Rafael Correa also condemned the arrest as 'cruel and simple persecution.'
Gonzalez is a leading figure of Ecuador's left; her arrest comes amid political tension in the country, and the court proceedings and the opposition's response will be closely watched. (GSM, based on Reuters reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 厄瓜多尔首都基多天际线（资料图）。照片：Bernardo Arias，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Quito skyline, Ecuador (file photo). Photo: Bernardo Arias, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
