“They have bought five lawmakers who came by our votes,” said González in a statement on the occasion of the commemoration of the First Cry for Independence.

In the text, published on social networks, the leader of the opposition political organization said that “they are visiting our directors, our leaders, offering them positions, business and even money” in order to leave the movement.

She argued that these actions are part of “the worst of the attacks of the oligarchy” and that the Citizens Revolution movement “the only political force that has declared itself frontally in opposition to the illegitimate government of Noboa”.

The former presidential candidate defended the achievements of the decade under Rafael Correa (2007-2017) by highlighting poverty reduction, infrastructure expansion and higher education.

“If there is one thing we will never be forgiven for, it is to have restored the dignity of an entire people,” she said.

In their view, this is why they are ‘the centre of the onslaught, not only of the Noboa government, but also of the media that serve the oligarchs, as well as the financial elites who will never forgive us for putting limits on their abuses’.

In her message, she called to address issues that, according to her, ‘do not want to be discussed in the National Assembly’, such as alleged corruption in hospitals, cuts to universities, the letter of intent with the International Monetary Fund and the state of public services.

‘They have the economic power that buys everything, but they cannot buy our hearts and our convictions,’ she stressed, announcing at the same time that they will convene assemblies in the country to discuss these issues.

abo/jha/avr.