President of Ecuador Lenin Moreno issued a resolution stripping his vice president, Jorge Glas, of his authority on Thursday over a corruption case that emerged amid a power battle within the ruling party.
The resolution said, "The loyalty and commitment ... implied in serving the homeland in a unified way has not been properly understood by the vice president."
However, the resolution did not say how long the vice president's suspension of duties would last.
According to the country's constitution, Glas remains nominally the country's vice president, even if he is stripped of authority.
Ecuador's Vice President Jorge Glas speaks after reading the presidential decree that stripped his authority in Quito on August 3, 2017. /AFP Photo
Glas has denied all wrongdoing, slamming the move as "political payback".
Both Moreno and Glas served as vice-president under former President Rafael Correa.
Tensions between Moreno and Glas first emerged during the presidential campaign when opposition politicians accused Glas of allegedly receiving millions of dollars in bribes from Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht, which admitted paying bribes worth 33.5 million US dollars to Ecuadorian officials in return for public contracts.
Moreno ordered a thorough investigation into the case.
Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno (R), Vice President Jorge Glas (L) and former President Rafael Correa wave to supporters from the balcony of the Carondelet presidential palace, in Quito on April 3, 2017. /AFP Photo
In his statement, Glas denied the corruption charges and accused Moreno of betraying the party's trust and legacy.
As tensions within the party rise, all 74 representatives of the ruling party in the National Assembly issued a call for reconciliation and political unity.
