Overview
- Presidential staff flagged a basket of artisanal products received on Oct. 17 in Babahoyo, leading to tests on two jams and a cacao liqueur.
- An internal report cited by the Casa Militar says lab analyses detected thionyl chloride, chloroethanol and anthracene, and noted the items lacked sanitary registration.
- The Casa Militar filed a ‘attempted murder’ complaint with the Attorney General’s Office around Oct. 22, submitting evidence for forensic review.
- The woman identified as the giver, entrepreneur Yolanda Peñafiel, acknowledged delivering the gifts and denied any intent to cause harm.
- The claim follows weeks of indigenous-led protests over diesel subsidy cuts and precedes a Nov. 16 referendum on a possible Constituent Assembly, after a prior unproven threat report involving the presidential vehicle.