By Alexandra Valencia
QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa on Tuesday led a march against a decision by the constitutional court to temporarily suspend provisions in recently-passed security laws, in what critics have said is an attempt to curtail judicial independence.
Noboa has said the march was intended to preserve vital efforts to combat crime gangs, but detractors say he is interfering with judicial independence and trying to pressure judges to accept all his government’s reforms.
The court backed the suspensions after rights groups argued the measures, including immunity for security force members investigated for misconduct, a provision obliging telephone service providers to hand over certain information and changes to banking cooperatives could conflict with citizens’ rights.
“We are here to seek justice and to seek peace, we are not here to run over anyone, we follow the mandate of the people,” said Noboa, speaking into a megaphone at the march.
Noboa’s National Democratic Action party controls the legislature, where the three laws containing the provisions were approved in June.
One billboard along the route featured the names and photos of the nine justices in the constitutional court with the text: “These are the judges who are stealing our peace. They signed against laws that would protect us”.
Noboa’s spokesperson said that billboard and others were not paid for by the government.
“We are not going to permit change to be halted because of nine people who don’t even show their face, who want to hide their names and their faces from society,” added Noboa, dressed in a black anti-ballistic vest over a dark T-shirt.
Ecuador’s constitution prevents supreme court justices from speaking publicly about cases before them.
The signage increases security risks for the judges and directly affects the court’s independence, the court said in a statement, also decrying changes to security provisions for its headquarters on Tuesday, which marchers passed yelling “out corrupt judges!”.
Debate on the suspended measures should take place at public hearings scheduled to begin next week, the court added.
A United Nations special rapporteur for justice, Margaret Satterthwaite, has expressed concern the court could be pressured by other powers in Ecuador and said judges must be free to work without threats.
Noboa has deployed the army on the streets in a bid to curb violence, while pushing measures like increased sentences for drug trafficking.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia,Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb, editing by Ed Osmond)
