Ecuador judge arrives to Green Pass hearing with verdict 'already written'
Ecuador Southern Unit for Family, Women, Children, and Adolescents in Guayaquil Judge Lourdes Esther Morales Ortega Friday dismissed the petition by Ecuadorian doctors’ and lawyers’ organizations and private citizens challenging Green Pass vaccine mandate restrictions on grounds that the petition lacked merit.
Citizen Commission for the Truth Coordinator Manuel Narváez told Ecuador's Gamavisión: “The judge's act is unfortunate, but it reveals the current state of our constitutional guarantees. And what a pity that she could not hide that she had already written a sentence at the very moment that she was proceeding to sentencing.”
Attorney William Sánchez Aveiga, who submitted the petition, said: "The defendants could not justify in any way those violations of the Constitution of which they are accused. But the Judge, nevertheless, ruled against us in her decision.
"This does not surprise us, that she obeys orders from above, from the Presidency of the Republic, because the defendants could not demonstrate at the time its lack of responsibility with respect to these violations, nor could they demonstrate that there had been no violations, quite the contrary. Evidence was presented, arguments were presented, several amicus curiae were presented, and everything seemed to indicate that the Judge should rule in our favor; but when things are politically manipulated from above, it's different.
“In any case, we filed an appeal orally at the hearing, and we will proceed to justify it at the right time.”
Sánchez Aveiga told Gamavisión: “The evidence is presented at the hearing, where witnesses are heard and the judge can form a total or complete assessment of what she has to resolve. In that sense it is manifestly evident that the judge arrived with a written sentence that she then pronounced. She declared our petition, submitted by us with all the evidence, to be without merit in this absurd, totally illegal way that violates explicit norms and all the constitutional precepts.”
Ombudsman Provincial Delegate Freddy Viejo responded to the verdict: “The constitutional court also stated that the guidelines issued by the National Emergency Center of Operations (COE) are not in general effect. Consequently, they cannot affect rights either. But apparently the judge has indicated that this is an administrative act that must be contested by administrative procedure. I do not share that contention, but like every other case this goes up to the Superior Court to one of the judges there, who will have to review the lower court's judge's conduct.”
Ecuador: Acción de Protección negada - Rumble
