![]() “The only way out is the impeachment and exit of the president of the republic, Guillermo Lasso,” said Viviana Veloz, an opposition lawmaker who was leading the impeachment process. Opposition lawmakers needed 92 votes, out of 137, to remove Lasso in a session of the national assembly which began on Tuesday. His decree means those proceedings will end. Lasso survived the opposition’s first attempt to impeach him, in June last year, but looked set to be removed from office later this week after the start of an impeachment hearing based on embezzlement accusations which he disputes. But the former banker has faced major obstacles – including the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and a horrifying upsurge in drug-related violence linked to the growing presence of Mexican cartels – and has repeatedly locked horns with the opposition-controlled national assembly. In his inaugural speech after taking power in May 2021, Lasso called himself a “man of action” who would lead Ecuador’s 18 million citizens into an “eternally democratic” future of social equality and economic stability. The decree describes the measure a way of preventing a “violent escalation” such as the mass protests that brought the capital, Quito, and other parts of the country to a standstill in June last year. Lasso’s 11-page decree, which comes into force immediately, states that his decision was taken as a result of “severe political crisis and domestic upheaval” and orders electoral authorities to call elections in the next seven days. However, the suspension of congress is also a setback to Ecuador’s democracy and the latest flare-up of political disruption in a region that has this year grappled with an uprising in the Peruvian Andes, accelerating authoritarian crackdowns in Nicaragua and El Salvador, an alleged military coup attempt in Brazil, democratic regression in Mexico and an explosion of gang violence in Haiti. Some observers believe it could benefit the president, who will be allowed to stand in that contest. ![]() ![]() ![]() Forgot your password? Click here to sign-in and subscribe via a link sent to your email.Lasso’s decision to trigger a constitutional “mutual-death” clause dissolving his country’s 137-member national assembly will allow him to govern without the legislature until fresh elections are held. Please ensure your password has at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. Use at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. You can unsubscribe whenever you want.īy clicking 'Sign in and Subscribe' you agree to us subscribing you to our newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.Įmail: (change email) Create Account and Subscribe Sign in and Subscribe We will not share your email address with any third parties. Already have an account? Don't already have an account?īy clicking 'Create Account and Subscribe' you agree to us creating an account for you and subscribing you to our newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.Įmails, which may be sent daily or less frequently, may include marketing elements. Please click 'Create Account and Subscribe' to create a new account and subscribe to our email alerts. We don't have an account for this email address. Please click 'Sign in and Subscribe' to continue. Please check you have typed it correctly.Īn existing account was found for this email address. We are sorry, but the email address you entered does not appear to be valid. Create Account and Subscribe Sign in and Subscribe Subscribe to our email alert of the day's top stories from the UK and around the world. Sign up for a FREE NewsNow account and get our email alert of the day's top stories from the UK and around the world.
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