Correa Says Moreno INA Papers Probe Led to Facebook Page Block

Early Friday, former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa confirmed that his Facebook account had indeed been blocked, just one day after the ex-head of state publicly criticize Lenin Moreno for the withdrawal of asylum previously granted to WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange.

“They blocked my Facebook page, 1.5 million followers. One more step of the brutal persecution, and another show of despair for case INA papers, of which the corrupt [Lenin] Moreno will not be able to escape. Only in this way will I announce a new page. Do not believe in "fakes," Correa tweeted.

The INA Papers features prominently in a corruption probe that alleges Moreno’s link to Chinese company Sinohydro’s reported deposit of some US$18 million in offshore company Recorsa.

Recorsa is linked to Conto Patiño Martinez, who reportedly transferred money to a ghost company, INA Investments Corp, that is owned by Edwin Moreno Garces, brother of Moreno.

Thursday former President Correa heaped criticism on Moreno regarding the South American country’s action against whistleblower Assange.

"It’s incredible. We cannot imagine something like this. It’s against international law; it’s against the institution of asylum; it’s against the Ecuadorian constitution, especially because since last year, Julian Assange has had Ecuadorean citizenship," Correa remarked. “It’s the biggest betrayal perhaps in Latin American history.”

Assange was expelled from the Ecuadorean embassy in London and arrested by the Metropolitan Police and subsequently faces extradition after being charged with "computer hacking conspiracy" in the United States, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Swedish prosecutors have also filed a request to re-open an alleged rape case against Assange.