Ecuador: UN Envoy Resigns Citing 'Authoritarianism' by Moreno

In an open letter to Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno Thursday, Guillaume Long, who served as foreign and culture minister under former President Rafael Correa, resigned from his post as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, citing major disagreements with the current government and Moreno’s “authoritarianism”.

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“I refuse to be an accomplice in dangerous authoritarianism, disguised as false ecumenism and dialogue spirit, that's aggressively colonizing our Ecuador,” Long said in his strong-worded letter to the president.

The former Ecuadorean top diplomat stressed that “Ecuador has become a bastion in the defense of progressive positions and the defense of Planet Earth” and because of that he went on to join Moreno’s government before realizing that its agenda went against that of the “Citizen Revolution” that was championed by Correa.

“I can no longer represent a government that commits the kind of abuses we've seen these last months.” He was referring to the new government’s plans to modify the Social Contract and Civic Participation Council, which would allow Moreno to indirectly appoint state's control and judicial authorities.

Long argues that the real purpose of such changes, which are proposed as part of the upcoming Feb. 4 referendum called for by the current government, is likely to be the prosecution of political enemies and undermining the separation of power.

The referendum is “unconstitutional” and a “flagrant violation of institutions, democracy and state's rule of law,” the former minister warned in his letter.

“After the popular consult, when you stop being useful to the dominant political class in a task you have been trusted with, they will start devouring each other for their own power ambitions.”

The letter ends with the words “consciousness is the most precious thing humans have. Mine tells me to resign.” Correa, who has returned to Ecuador to campaign for a “No” vote in the referendum, has expressed his support for Long’s resignation.