Former President Evo Morales, who was going to run to be a Senator in the election that will take place in Bolivia in October 18, and former President Rafael Correa, who was going to be a candidate to the Vice-presidency of Ecuador in the election that will be held next February, have both been disqualified by judiciary decisions that limit their rights to elect and to be elected. Such decisions show, once again, the strategy that is being used by right wing governments to try to defeat the political contenders, not in the election process, but by judiciary procedures.
Those decisions not only violate the rights of former Presidents Evo Morales and Rafael Correa, but also attack the right of the people of Bolivia and Ecuador to freely choose the destiny of their countries in democratic elections.
The Grupo de Puebla alerts the international community about the concentration of powers in some Latin American countries, which profoundly affects the democratic systems of the region. The Grupo expresses its solidarity with former Presidents Evo Morales and Rafael Correa.
Signers:
1. Fernando Lugo
2. Ernesto Samper
3. Dilma Rousseff
4. Marco Enríquez-Ominami
5. Aloizio Mercadante
6. María José Pizarro
7. Carlos Ominami
8. Gabriela Rivadeneira
9. Esperanza Martínez
10. Hugo Martínez
11. José Miguel Insulza
12. Celso Amorim
13. Adriana Salvatierra
14. Monica Xavier
15. Iván Cepeda
16. Carlos Sotelo
17. Guillaume Long
18. Clara López
19. Daniel Martínez
20. Jorge Taiana
21. Carol Proner
22. Andres arauz