A fine imposed by Ecuador’s market regulator on mobile operator Conecel (Claro, part of América Móvil’s multinational business empire) totalling $82.7 million US, was cancelled last week by a Guayaquil appeals court. The mobile operator’s appeal was approved, temporarily suspending the sentence by the SCPM.
SCPM president Pedro Páez has said that he is unaware of the District Court’s appeal ruling, as it has not been notified to him in writing. Conecel had been given a 15 day period, beginning on August 30th this year, to pay the total of the fine – equivalent to 5.37% of its total sales volume for 2015. The sanction was the result of the firm’s failure to comply with a series of compromises stemming from previous violations, including a temporary suspension of all exclusivity clauses in their property leasing contracts.
Teodoro Maldonado, Claro’s legal director, has said that the fine represents “a new instance of abuse and a violation of corporate rights”. The trial, he found had not taken into account the legal arguments and evidence presented since 2013, which would have allegedly helped to show that the compromises had been met. Conecel has announced it will challenge the decision all the way to international arbitration, if necessary.
Full Content: El Comercio
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
European Music Streaming Firms Rally Against Apple’s Proposed Remedies
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Google and South Carolina Clash Over State Records Demand
May 8, 2024 by
CPI
Telefonica Germany Teams Up with Amazon Web Services to Migrate 5G Customers
May 8, 2024 by
CPI
Federal Judge Grants $7.4 Million Settlement in Pork Price-Fixing Case
May 8, 2024 by
CPI
Wilson Sonsini Bolsters Antitrust and Competition Practice with Key Partner Returns
May 8, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI