The Quito government announced on Friday that Ecuador’s vice president will be assuming a position in Tel Aviv to work toward a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Vice President Veronica Abad was given the peace portfolio as her “sole function” by President Daniel Noboa, who assumed office on Thursday for a shortened 18-month term, according to a statement.
The Ecuadorian embassy in Tel Aviv announced that Abad will be working there as a “collaborator for peace and to prevent the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” but it did not say when or for how long.
Ecuador’s Constitution says the vice president will take over for the president in case of a temporary or permanent absence, but for the rest of the time will exercise the functions assigned by the president.
“This decision represents a historic milestone, setting a precedent for Ecuador’s significant commitment to international peace and underscoring our determination to promote stability in a region affected by protracted conflicts,” the government said.
But since Noboa and Abad’s election victory in August, there has reportedly been a distance between them, according to national media.
Following their oath of office on Thursday, they have each completed a number of official tasks.
About 600 people attended the lunch Noboa attended at the presidential residence, while Abad had lunch with sellers at a Quito food market.
The declaration from the Ecuadorian government coincides with a partial hostage release and a precarious ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“We thank the government of Ecuador for the effort and interest in mediating for the peace of the people of Israel,” the Israeli embassy in Quito said on X, formerly Twitter.
