Ecuador president apologises for saying women only report harassment from ‘ugly men’

Lenín Moreno, president of Ecuador, has apologised for saying women only report cases of harassment when it comes from “ugly men.”

Moreno, had while speaking at a conference on in Guayaquil, noted that men are now “permanently subjected to the danger of being accused of harassment,” by women, especially when they are “ugly.”

According to him, “women often report harassment, it is true, and it is good that they do so,” adding they usually “get angry with ugly people” in harassment cases.

“That is to say, it is ‘harassment’ when it comes from an ugly person. But if the person is good looking… they usually do not think it is harassment,” he said.

His comments had prompted immediate outrage from women’s rights activists as many others took to social media to tackle the president.

In reaction to the widespread criticism, Moreno, however, took to Twitter to apologise, noting his original comments wer not to support cases of harassment against women by men in the society.

The 66-year-old politician further rejected “violence against women in all its forms.”

En mi comentario sobre el acoso, no pretendí minimizar un asunto tan grave como la violencia o los abusos. Me disculpo si se entendió así. ¡Rechazo la violencia contra la mujer en todas sus formas!

— Lenín Moreno (@Lenin) February 1, 2020

“In my comment about harassment, I did not intend to minimize such a serious matter as violence or abuse. I apologize if it was understood that way. I reject violence against women in all its forms!,” his post read in English.