Ecuador interior minister avoids impeachment over gang violence

Interior Minister Monica Palencia speaks during the impeachment session against her at the plenary of the National Assembly in Quito on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. – Ecuador’s opposition-majority Congress on Wednesday initiated an impeachment trial against the Minister of the Interior for an alleged failure to address the growing security crisis unleashed by drug violence. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA / Agence France-Presse)

QUITO, ECUADOR — Ecuador’s Interior Minister Monica Palencia on Wednesday survived an impeachment vote held after she was accused in the opposition-controlled Congress of failing to get a grip on escalating drug-related violence.

Palencia is the most visible face of the government’s fight against a crime wave shaking the once peaceful South American nation.

Despite having a majority in Congress, the opposition failed to win the 92 votes out of 137 needed to remove Palencia from office.

The motion received 77 votes in favor and 40 against among those present, while 16 abstained.

Palencia defended herself in Congress against accusations from two legislators close to former socialist president Rafael Correa, as she pointed to recent high-profile arrests.

READ: 7 killed in third massacre in a week in Ecuador

Once seen as a beacon of stability in South America, Ecuador has become one of the world’s most violent nations and a major drug trafficking hub in recent years.

Late Tuesday, a double bomb attack in the southwestern city Machala destroyed several houses, according to local authorities, who blamed it on fighting between rival criminal groups.

One person was injured, according to police.

READ: How Ecuador became one of the most violent countries in Latin America

Ecuador registered a record 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, up from six murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018.

President Daniel Noboa’s government says its crackdown on gangs allegedly linked to international criminal groups such as Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel has reduced the number of murders this year.

Noboa has defended Palencia and canceled a trip to Brazil to follow the impeachment proceeding, saying he would “accompany her throughout her journey.”