Former Minister Patiño gave an announcement regarding the arrest warrant, “I am accused of giving a speech during a meeting of our political organization. I’ve called on our supporters to accompany the people, take to the streets, to state institutions, and condemn the disastrous economic and social policy of the government of Lenín Moreno in Ecuador. Therefore, because of the dissent, because I gave a speech at a meeting, they wanted to arrest me.”

From a Skype call from an undisclosed location, Minister Patiño stated that he was still uncertain whether he would ask for political asylum. Patiño commented via Skype that no legislation of the American Convention of Human Rights establishes that expressing a political opinion or calling citizens to defend their rights is a crime.

President Correa’s government, under which Patiño served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was characterized by censoring political opinions that were against his government. Former President Correa is now exiled in Belgium as he faces criminal charges in Ecuador for kidnapping political dissidents in 2012 and corruption.

Minister Patiño has gone on to accuse President Moreno of colluding with the United States CIA, “All that Moreno does is an attempt to destroy what we have built. Undoubtedly, it was planned with CIA involvement. He is not smart enough to come up with something like this, so it is staged by the US embassy”.

It is uncertain what steps the Ecuadorian government will take to arrest Minister Patiño, and whether or not he will be extradited back to Ecuador. The investigation and arrest warrant for Patiño marks the new political turmoil between former President Correa and President Moreno, who previously served as President Correa’s Vice President.