Guillermo Lasso faces a backlash for wielding the previously untried rule
The standoff between Mr Lasso and the National Assembly is only the latest iteration of a power struggle between the executive and legislative branches, which has frequently destabilised Ecuadorean politics. From 1997 to 2005, no elected president managed to serve out a full term. A new constitution, introduced in 2008 under Rafael Correa, a left-winger who was then president, made impeachment trickier. The trial against Mr Lasso has taken three months of wrangling.
Even so, the case appeared flimsy from the start. It was the second impeachment attempt against Mr Lasso by the National Assembly, which is controlled by the opposition. The constitutional court, which reviews any charges before an impeachment can proceed, discarded most of the accusations originally made against the president. These included operating a corruption ring at state-owned enterprises, the sale of positions in government and ties to Albanian drug gangs.
The driving force to unseat Mr Lasso was Mr Correa’s party, Citizens’ Revolution, which had the largest bloc of seats in the legislature. Mr Correa, who lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium, was convicted in 2020 in absentia of corruption . Even so, candidates associated with him won mayoral elections this year.grew by 3%, faster than the regional average. Inflation is low, at 2.4%.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ecuador's President Dissolves Legislature to End ImpeachmentPresident Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly just as it was forging ahead with impeachment proceedings to remove him from office.
Read more »
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before CongressThe boss of the company behind the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has been testifying in front of the US Congress about the promise and the peril posed by emerging AI-technologies - as well as the opportunities.
Read more »
Senator Richard Blumenthal's chilling warning after AI-generated speech convincingly imitates him at Congress hearingThe speech, which simulated the senator's voice, was called 'impressive'. But what if it had been used to endorse Vladimir Putin? Anxieties are growing among US politicians about the implications of AI.
Read more »
Congress Grills DeJoy on Mail Theft and Postal Worker AttacksPostmaster General Louis DeJoy generally received a warmer welcome from Democrats than he had in the past, as he answered lawmakers questions about a surge in mail-related crimes
Read more »
Congress could vote on debt ceiling bill next week, Kevin McCarthy says\n\t\t\tExpert insights, analysis and smart data help you cut through the noise to spot trends,\n\t\t\trisks and opportunities.\n\t\t\n\t\tJoin over 300,000 Finance professionals who already subscribe to the FT.
Read more »