There were eight salt shakers, and he took two… it sounds familiar, right? This is the viral story of Gina and Riki’s breakup that has been all over social media. They had been living together, their relationship was public, and when things ended, he took almost half of everything—even things he didn’t personally pay for. It raises a question: did he really have the right to do that?
Is it legal?
According to Ecuadorian legislation, la unión de hecho (de facto union) is recognized when a couple lives together in a stable and monogamous relationship, publicly, for a certain period of time. Once these conditions are met, both partners have similar rights to those of a marriage, including the division of shared assets.
So, were his actions wrong? Legally speaking, probably not. If their relationship met the legal requirements, he was entitled to half. However, legality and ethics are not always the same—and whether it was fair or not is a completely different story.
