ALVARO NOBOA DENOUNCES ILLEGAL PROCEDURES BY AUTHORITIES



This morning, the Governor of the province of Guayas, Julio Cesar Quinonez, along with the Deputy Minister of Government, Diego Fuentes, the National Police, the Police Administration and the Technical Secretariat of Settlement, went to Puerto Engabao to authorize the breakdown of walls in a property of the VIMARE SA Company, Merceditas Farm 1 and 2, which according to company representatives belong to the Noboa Group for over 27 years.

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ALVARO NOBOA DENOUNCES ILLEGAL PROCEDURES BY AUTHORITIES
This morning, the Governor of the province of Guayas, Julio Cesar Quinonez, along with the Deputy Minister of Government, Diego Fuentes, the National Police, the Police Administration and the Technical Secretariat of Settlement, went to Puerto Engabao to authorize the breakdown of walls in a property of the VIMARE SA Company, Merceditas Farm 1 and 2, which according to company representatives belong to the Noboa Group for over 27 years.


“Today in conjunction with the National Police, the Police Administration, and the Technical Secretariat of Settlement, we have conducted a second operation in the area of Puerto Engabao, knocking down walls that had been put in an area that belongs to the commune and also a house that had been built on the beach side, here in Puerto Engabao. We will not absolutely allow anyone´s illegality. Our government defends the ancestral rights, rights of the commune of Engabao and the villagers … We will provide police protection so they can not re-build any type of wall and we ask the commune to look after their lands,”
said the Governor of Guayas.

Before starting with the provision, several authorities of the government met behind closed doors at the Community House of Puerto Engabao, to finalize the procedure in which intervened about 250 police officers, who surrounded the place and with the help of machinery, they proceeded with the break down of part of the wall.

The commune attorney, Xavier Valverde, defended the right of the commune over these lands. “By bad advice or ignorance thosw who believe they have some sort of right, I say without charging any penny today, they are wrong, ownership is a right of the Engabao Commune and that is no longer in dispute, what is still pending is the procedure we have initiated to void the fraudulent deed they have, that has nothing to do with the land dispute that has already been resolved in the judicial instances.”

The villagers reported feeling supported by the authorities who ratified their right to these lands they call ancestral. They also denounced the lack of commitment from the Mayoress of the Playas county, who apparently would not be supporting them in this decision, so villagers request her correct her attitude in the actions committed so people trust her again.

“Today we are being supported by the Ministry of Interior and the Governor of the Guayas province, we will have what we have been waiting for some time, the police officers and the relevant authorities will bring down the walls built by Alvaro Noboa and we will also pass by the house Mr. Fabricio Correa has built here at the Port of Engabao,” said Pablo Guevara, member of the Marea Baja Association.

For its part, the Ecuadorian businessman Alvaro Noboa, gave a press conference stating that there are no constitutional guarantees in the country and he assumes there is influence of the government in this land dispute. He added that these actions are part of a political persecution against the Noboa Group.

“This morning economist Rafael Correa sent a small police army to the port area of Engabao,” … The Governor of Guayas, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, an ambulance, a helicopter, came to this farm property of Vimare, of 175 hectares, whose ownership deed has 27 years in power of the company. This farm is next to the Port of Engabao and its property title grants it: a 27 years deed, its registration in the Land Registry, the land registry and the compliance in the payment of taxes, effective possession of the land, ie we have not abandoned the land, there is cattle in these lands … there are cowboys, guards a concrete wall protects the property, thus we meet all the legal conditions to own a property and the due payment of taxes. a day.

The Governor came smugly with a higher order, so I address economist Rafael Correa, because they say they have decided that this farm belongs to the district of Engabao. Mr. Rafael Correa, you do not have the power to decide who belongs a property, you are not a king … and by an administrative decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, the economist said Saturday that this resolution had an administrative nature; he says that the Engabao commune owns thousands of hectares, except those lands whose deeds are valid, and this is one of the exceptions because these exceptions include the farms that have valid deeds.

VIMARE was never notified or anything because there is no legal basis and they just started to bring down the fence, of which I ask economist Correa: Is this a political persecution against me? Is this a criminal act that is being committed? Is this a way to attract foreign investment? Because if this happens the country’s largest business group, imagine, any investor will want to come here. Is this a way to prevent the capital flight?

I very much regret if I offended you by giving an opinion on how to best administer the country, because I am a person who has learned the art and science to create wealth and generate employment. I want to tell economist Correa that I am a faithful servant of God and of the Ecuadorian people and any blow of yours will make me change my path. I will continue my fight to make Ecuador a rich and strong country and for the poor to stop being poor and make the middle class develop and we can be have that Ecuador we have all dreamed.”

Noboa announced he would take measures to stop such actions he considers as illegal. “Vimare lawyers think they have committed a series of criminal offenses and they will take a number of actions,” he said.