Ecuadorian lawmakers block indictment of vice president whom authorities accuse of collusion

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian Vice President Verónica Abad, for now, will not be indicted in a corruption case against her son after lawmakers blocked the move Friday. Lawmakers denied authorizing Abad’s criminal prosecution in a vote prompted by an order from the country’s National Court to decide whether prosecutors could move forward. As a result of the vote, authorities now must postpone prosecuting Abad until after she leaves office in 2025. Prosecutors accuse Abad of collusion and claim to have evidence linking her to the case of her son, Francisco Barreiro. He was arrested in March after authorities unveiled corruption accusations against him. Abad and Barreiro have denied the allegations through an attorney.