Ecuador’s Defense Minister Fernando Cordero and the chief of the Armed Forces Joint Command Luis Garzon have rejected rumors that the military has withdrawn its support from President Rafael Correa.
Their statements were prompted due to an anonymous recording, which has been making the rounds on social media since Friday, indicating that high-ranking military officers had withdrawn support from the government, warning listeners to prepare for a national bank closure.
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“It is a crime to spread false rumors of bank closures and I hope that we can identify the person in order to hold them accountable to highest level of the law,” Defense Minister Cordero stated.
During an interview on Sunday with GamaTV, Garzon was also quick to deny the allegations from the revealed in the audio stating, "It is a totally irresponsible statement. It isn’t true. The armed forces are responsible, professional and we are fulfilling the laws of our constitution. We believe that we are here to honor democracy as well to support, protect, and guarantee the freedoms and rights of the Ecuadorean people.”
The rumors came against the backdrop of right-wing opposition demonstrations, originally against making the wealthiest pay more in taxes, which now openly call for the ousting of the elected president.
Historically, the Ecuadorean military has played a dominant role in Ecuadorian politics. On several occasions, the Ecuadorean armed forces have displayed an appetite for intervening in domestic politics.