Lucio Gutiérrez says he will appeal a $11,750 fine imposed on him by electoral judge Fernando Muñoz

“We are in complete disagreement. We are going to appeal because, Ecuadorians, it would be a bad precedent (...) for the victim to be punished. Because the perpetrator, the aggressor, the one who throws the stone is Mrs Elsa Guerra, she is the one who tells me that I am an expert to escape through the roofs, that I have put my hands in the justice and that I have handled maliciously public funds.”

The former president and current assembly member, Lucio Gutiérrez, was sanctioned by the Electoral Dispute Tribunal (ECT) after being held responsible for gender-based political violence against former legislative candidate Elsa Guerra. The ruling, issued by Judge Fernando Muñoz, condemns Gutierrez to pay a fine of $11,750, and to issue a public apology.

The judge of the Electoral Dispute Tribunal (ECT), Fernando Muñoz, ruled the responsibility of ex-mandator Lucio Gutiérrez in a case of gender-based political violence, following the complaint filed by the former candidate to the Assembly, Elsa Guerra. As part of the sanction, Gutierrez will have to pay a fine of USD 11,700 and offer public apologies. The sentence can still be appealed.