Gabriela Rivadeneira

Gabriela Alejandra Rivadeneira Burbano (born 25 July 1983) is an Ecuadorian politician. She was President of the National Assembly of Ecuador between May 2013 and May 2017. Previously she was Governor of Imbabura Province from 2011 to 2012.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rivadeneira and the second or maternal family name is Burbano.
Gabriela Rivadeneira
Rivadeneira in 2017
President of the National Assembly
In office
14 May 2013 – 14 May 2017
Preceded byFernando Cordero Cueva
Succeeded byJosé Serrano
Member of the National Assembly for the National Constituency
Assumed office
14 May 2013
Governor of Imbabura Province
In office
28 July 2011 – 9 November 2012
PresidentRafael Correa
Preceded byPedro Dávila
Succeeded byMarcelo Villamarín
Vice Prefect of Imbabura Province
In office
31 August 2009 – 27 July 2011
PresidentRafael Correa
Personal details
Born (1983-07-25) 25 July 1983
Quito, Ecuador
Political partyPAIS Alliance (Before 2018) Citizen Revolution Movement (After 2018)
Websitegabrielarivadeneira.com

She was the Executive Secretary of the PAIS Alliance between 1 May 2017 and 2018. During the Correa-Moreno split within PAIS, she sided with the former, leaving the party and becoming one of the leaders of the Citizen Revolution Movement.[1]

Early life

Rivadeneira was born in Quito as the first of four children. At age five she moved to Otavalo. In 2000, when she was seventeen, she received the beauty pageant title of Reina del Yamor (English: Queen of Yamor).[2][3] The popularity and local fame she gained with this achievement enabled her to be successful in local politics.[2]

Rivadeneira went to the Colegio Santa Juana de Chantal. During her stay there she became president of the advice board and leader of the student board.[2]

Cultural activism

Rivadeneira founded the cultural organisation Mirarte in 1998, while she was fourteen years old. For her, it was a relief valve against the Ecuadorian government during those years. The organisation later produced the first children's film in Ecuador, Sara la Espantapájaros. Rivadeneira had a role in the movie.[4] Rivadeneira has said that in her youth she sprayed graffiti for ideological goals as a protest against foreign debt, free-trade treaties and the presence of the U.S. Manta Air Base at Eloy Alfaro International Airport.[5]

Political career

Rivadeneira started her political career as councilwoman for the municipality of Otavalo; she served in this capacity between 2004 and 2008. During that time she won the elections in 2004 and 2008. From 2004 till 2006 she was a member of the Pachakutik party. But in 2006 she left and became a member of a group that would later join forces with the PAIS Alliance.[5] She was vice mayor of the city of Otavalo between 2006 and 2008. Between 2009 and 2011 she served as vice prefect of Imbabura Province. She also was a member of the national directory of PAIS Alliance between 2010 and 2012.[6][7]

On 28 July 2011 Rivadeneira took up the function of governor of Imbabura Province after Governor Pedro Dávila laid down his function.[8] To take up this position Rivadeneira was forced to lay down her function of Vice Prefect in the same province. As Rivadeneira became governor at age 28 she became not only the first female governor of Imbabura Province, but also the youngest.[9] Rivadeneira was chosen for this position by President Rafael Correa.[5] On 9 November 2012 Rivadeneira resigned as governor, so she could run in the 2013 general election.[10] In March 2013 she went to the funeral of Hugo Chávez as part of the Ecuadorian delegation.[5]

National politics

Rivadeneira led the PAIS Alliance in the February 2013 elections for the National Assembly while more senior politicians were placed behind her on the national list. Examples of these were the then President of the National Assembly Fernando Cordero Cueva, the then Vice President of the National Assembly Juan Carlos Cassinelli and Rosana Alvarado.[5] She personally received 3,498,379 votes. On 14 May 2013 Rivadeneira was chosen as President of the National Assembly after receiving 107 of 137 votes in her favor.[6]

After being chosen as President of the National Assembly she was mentioned as a potential successor for President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Correa announced that he would not seek another term in the 2017 elections because of the country's term limits. Earlier, Correa had mentioned Rivadeneira as a possible successor while he was on a visit to Imbabura Province.[2][5] Rivadeneira would not have been eligible, as she would not have reached the minimum age of 35 for the office of president.[11]

In May 2015 Rivadeneira was re-elected as President of the National Assembly.[12] In February 2016 she became President of the Latin American Parliament.[13] In July 2016, with other Latin American regimes in trouble, she defended the Socialism of the 21st century of Latin America, stating that it had not been broken.[14]

Rivadeneira's public approval rate dropped from 45% in December 2013, to 26,5% in the end of 2016.[15] On 15 February 2017 her office received a bomb threat when a CD package with explosives was delivered.[16] In the 19 February 2017 elections Rivadeneira was re-elected as member of the National Assembly for the National Constituency. She was the most voted woman.[17]

On 1 May 2017 she was elected the Executive Secretary of the PAIS Alliance.[18] On 14 May 2017 she was succeeded as President of the National Assembly by José Serrano.[19] In January 2018 the Electoral Dispute Court (Spanish: Tribunal Contencioso Electoral) stated that Rivadeneira was longer executive secretary of the PAIS Alliance.[20]

During the Correa-Moreno split within PAIS, she sided with the former, leaving the party and becoming one of the leaders of the Citizen Revolution Movement.[1][21] During the October 2019 Ecuadorian protests Rivadeneira sought refuge in the embassy of Mexico in Quito.[21] On 9 January 2020 she moved to Mexico with her spouse and children.[22]

Criticism

Rivadeneira's role as president of Ecuador's National Assembly, however, has sparked criticism. On 3 October 2013 Rivadeneira spoke in the Ecuadorian National Assembly and quoted the music group Quilapayún by saying "... we have to flip the tortilla so that the poor eat bread, and the rich eat shit". Her action was criticized by opposition MPs.[23] Other examples include the warrant against legislator Cléver Jiménez,[24] and the acquisition of a house for 250,000 U.S. dollars.[25]

Personal life

Rivadeneira is married to writer Luis Flores and has two children.[6] Rivadeneira has said that she is a frequent reader of Eduardo Galeano's work.[2]

References
  1. "CNE niega la entrega de claves al movimiento Revolución Alfarista" (in Spanish). El Telégrafo. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  2. Washington Benalcázar (25 February 2013). "'Gaby' pasó de reina a grafitera y de concejala a asambleísta más votada" (in Spanish). El Comercio. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  3. For more information on the Queen of Yamor as a beauty queen see: Mathew C. Gutmann; Félix V. Rodriguez; Lynn Stephen; Patricia Zavella (15 April 2008). Perspectives on Las Americas: A Reader in Culture, History, & Representation. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 343–. ISBN 978-0-470-75206-7. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  4. "Gabriela es el talento gestado en la tenacidad" (in Spanish). El Telégrafo. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  5. "The new face of Ecuadorian politics: Gabriela Rivadeneira". El Telégrafo (Ecuador). 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  6. Luis Padilla (14 May 2013). "Gabriela Rivadeneira, the first female president in the history of the Ecuadorian Congress". Agencia Pública de Noticias del Ecuador y Suramérica. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  7. "Gabriela Rivadeneira, de beldad a política influyente" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  8. "Posesionada nueva Gobernadora de Imbabura" (in Spanish). Ecuador Inmediato. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  9. "Gabriela Rivadeneira, gobernadora de Imbabura" (in Spanish). El Norte. 26 July 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  10. "Gobernadora de Imbabura renuncia para candidatizarse a la Asamblea" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  11. Adriana Noboa Arregui (4 June 2013). "No hay heredero a la vista para el legado de Correa" (in Spanish). Expreso. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  12. Paúl Zamora (10 May 2015). "La reelección de Gabriela Rivadeneira toma impulso en Alianza País" (in Spanish). El Comercio. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  13. "Asambleísta Gabriela Rivadeneira asume Presidencia del Parlatino" (in Spanish). Latin American Parliament. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  14. "Gabriela Rivadeneira rechaza que el Socialismo del siglo XXI haya fracasado" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Herald. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  15. "Gabriela Rivadeneira con el 61,1% de desaprobación" (in Spanish). La Hora. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  16. "Amenaza de bomba en la oficina de Gabriela Rivadeneira" (in Spanish). Metro. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  17. "Gabriela Rivadeneira la asambleísta más votada del país" (in Spanish). El Norte. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  18. "Lenín Moreno, nuevo presidente de AP; Gabriela Rivadeneira, flamante secretaria ejecutiva" (in Spanish). El Telégrafo. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  19. "La nueva Asamblea Nacional designó a sus principales autoridades" (in Spanish). El Telégrafo. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  20. "El TCE ratifica que Gabriela Rivadeneira no es la secretaria ejecutiva de AP" (in Spanish). Ecuador en vivo. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018.
  21. "Crisis en Ecuador: quién es Gabriela Rivadeneira, la destacada figura del "correísmo" que pidió refugio a México" (in Spanish). BBC News Mundo. 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 December 2019.
  22. "Gabriela Rivadeneira desde México: El único objetivo (del Gobierno) es vetarnos de la candidatura del 2021" (in Spanish). El Universo. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020.
  23. "Frase de Rivadeneira 'Que los pobres coman pan y los ricos mierda' genera críticas" (in Spanish). El Universo. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  24. "Críticas a Rivadeneira por el allanamiento" (in Spanish). El Comercio. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  25. "La casa de Rivadeneira costó USD 250 000 con crédito del Biess" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
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