Ecuador's attorney general, Diana Salazar, has become a leading figure in the fight against “narcopolitics” in the country. She led investigations that led to the arrest of numerous people, including judges and prosecutors, suspected of being involved in organized crime linked to drug trafficking. Her detractors accuse her of politically persecuting former President Rafael Correa.
Diana Salazar is not afraid to confront the powerful. Nicknamed the 'Ecuadorian Loretta Lynch' (famous attorney general of the United States under Barack Obama), the attorney general led Operation 'Metastasis' in December 2023, a vast investigation into corruption and collusion between drug trafficking and public institutions, which led in the arrest of thirty people.
“The response to this operation will undoubtedly be an escalation of violence,” he warned, revealing this investigation described as the cornerstone of “narcopolitics” in the country. Unfortunately, his predictions came true.
Since the operation, Ecuador has faced an unprecedented wave of violence, unleashed by drug trafficking gangs, which has caused dozens of deaths.
The most recent to date is the murder, on Wednesday, January 17, of the prosecutor who was investigating a hostage situation at the public channel TC Televisión, which occurred at the beginning of January.
Popular and appreciated by Ecuadorians, at 42 years old, Diana Salazar has been a recognized figure in the anti-corruption scene for several years. The country's first Black woman to lead the Department of Justice, she was hailed in 2021 by the US State Department as a “champion in the fight against corruption.”
With a doctorate in jurisprudence and several diplomas in the field of human rights and the protection of people of African descent, she has been the country's attorney general since 2019.
Although he regularly receives death threats, he continues to carry out his investigations. During her rare public appearances, she wears a bulletproof vest and is protected by a large security device.
During a recent hearing, the prosecutor told the criminals: “Now, come and kill me,” declaring that she would not be intimidated by their threats. Followed by more than 240,000 people on X, she does not hesitate to communicate on this topic.
“The bravery of Diana Salazar, who knows perfectly well that she is risking her life to fight corruption, makes her popular and appreciated among Ecuadorians,” says Emmanuelle Sinardet, professor of Latin American civilization at the Paris Nanterre University.
“She has often been criticized for her ambition and her alleged connections with powerful interests. However, in the face of threats to her and her family, public opinion sees her as a figure of integrity and dedicated to the common good. She is considered the judicial arm of the fight to restore state authority and order in the streets.”
'FIFA Gate' and 'Odebrecht' cases
Born on June 5, 1981 in Ibarra, a town in the northern Andes, Diana Salazar grew up in a modest family and her mother raised four children alone.
When he was 16 years old he moved to Quito to attend the equivalent of high school. His career began in 2001, at the age of 20. While still a law student at the Central University of Quito, she began working in the Public Ministry of the province of Pichincha, as an administrator.
In 2006 she was promoted to secretary of the prosecutor and in 2011 she became prosecutor for the south of the province. Her career took a leap when she was appointed head of the anti-corruption unit of the Prosecutor's Office.
In 2015, he notably led the investigation into the so-called 'FIFA Gate' case, which led to the sentencing of the former president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation, Luis Chiriboga, to ten years in prison for money laundering.
Diana Salazar also participated in the Ecuadorian chapter of the 'Odebrecht' affair, a corruption scandal that surrounded the Brazilian construction giant.
His investigation then made it possible to gather some of the evidence that led, in December 2017, to the sentencing of Jorge Glas, former vice president of Ecuador, to six years in prison.
Accused of having received $13.5 million in bribes from Odebrecht, Jorge Glas denied all accusations and said that Diana Salazar was persecuting him politically.
“The Odebrecht case was a real test for Diana Salazar,” analyzes Sunniva Labarthe, a doctor in political sociology from the EHESS (School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences).
“Many thought that as a result of this affair she would be quickly removed from office, but she has managed to hold on until today. Of course, this is probably due to political agreements, but it shows that she is a credible and stable figure.”
Questions for prioritizing the case of Rafael Correa
In 2019, Diana Salazar was unanimously elected attorney general of Ecuador. His results in the contest earned him criticism and the nickname '10/20 prosecutor', as he obtained only 10 points out of 20 in the written exam (49/50 in the file and 28.17/30 in the oral, which allowed us to obtain an overall score of 88.17/100).
“In Ecuador, the position of attorney general has become extremely important and scrutinized since the abolition of the Ministry of Justice in 2018,” underlines Sunniva Labarthe.
“It is a direct consequence of the crisis that followed the transfer of power between Rafael Correa and Lenín Moreno. The latter was forced to separate from his predecessor's supporters who held important positions in the State, including Justice.”
In this context of institutional and political crisis, Diana Salazar attacks corruption, in particular by prosecuting former President Rafael Correa in 2020. She recommends a sentence of eight years in prison, the maximum penalty, after his conviction. The attorney general's detractors accuse her of attacking the former president to the detriment of other more important investigations.
The feat of the 'Metastasis' case in December 2023, “the largest in history against corruption and drug trafficking” in Ecuador, according to the prosecutor, uncovered a “criminal structure” that involved prosecutors, prison officials and police “whose The objective was “to obtain impunity and freedom for those prosecuted or convicted”, as well as to introduce prohibited objects into prison.
In total, 31 people were detained during 75 simultaneous raids. This investigation, opened after the murder, in 2022, in prison, of Leandro Norero, an important drug trafficking figure, reveals the scope of corruption and the infiltration of drug trafficking in the highest spheres of power.
“Diana Salazar has the merit of having carried out her operation in the greatest secrecy to prevent drug traffickers from being informed of the arrests,” emphasizes Emmanuelle Sinardet.
“Managing to keep an investigation confidential is a feat in a country where corruption and the influence of drug trafficking are deeply rooted in public institutions.”
Diana Salazar says she reviewed thousands of messages and phone records, which allowed her to rebuild Leandro Norero's protection network.
Since these revelations, the prosecutor has been the target of death threats from 'Los Lobos', one of the country's main criminal organizations. One of its main leaders, Fabricio Colón Pico, escaped from prison last week, a day after the escape of Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias 'Fito', the head of another of the most powerful gangs in the country, 'Los Choneros'. , rivals of 'Los Lobos'.
“We must not forget that all other people involved in the fight against corruption, including lawyers, judges, investigators and journalists, are also threatened,” adds Sunniva Labarthe. “We can only hope that Diana Salazar is still alive.”
*Article adapted from its original in French
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