Four leftist leaders arrested

“It is not a democracy when political opponents are persecuted in this way.”

The prefect of Pichincha Paola Pabon was arrested in the early morning hours of Monday at her home. Police also raided the home of Virgilio Hernandez, a former lawmaker and member of the Citizen Revolution. Meanwhile, in Guayas, Alexandra Arce, former mayor of the city of Duran, was also detained. Yofre Poma, another member, and lawmaker from the Citizen Revolution movement was also arrested in police raids.

The police raid Paola Pabon’s house was broadcast on Facebook Live by the leftist leader as she put on her clothes to prepare for being taken into custody.

Hoy entraron a mi casa de madrugada y derribaron la puerta mientras dormía. Me llevan detenida sin pruebas. Ser oposición en una democracia no puede ser delito. No es democracia cuando se persigue a los opositores políticos de esta forma: https://t.co/nO6GqIKE8z #SOSEcuador

— Paola Pabón (@PaolaPabonC) October 14, 2019

“Today they entered my house at dawn and knocked down the door while I was sleeping. They take me into detention without evidence. Being an opposition in a democracy cannot be a crime. It is not a democracy when political opponents are persecuted in this way.”

The political leader of the Social Commitment Force movement has been accused by the government of President Lenin Moreno, of being one of the instigators for acts of looting and violence that took place as part of the massive mobilizations around the country over the past 11 days.

Moreno also accused Ecuadorian ex-president Rafael Correa, former foreign minister Ricardo Patiño, lawyer and former lawmaker Virgilio Hernandez, and Pabon, of being behind the protests in an alleged attempt to overthrow him.

When the police raided his home, Hernandez was not there, however, the prosecutor’s office published pictures of phones and credit cards and other ordinary objects that were found, which it said would be used to investigate him.

Arce was also arrested for “investigations” into her alleged role in the unrest that had swept the country for 11 days before the president backtracked on his pro-IMF decree eliminating fuel subsidies.

This article originally appeared on teleSUR English.