The Freedom and Democracy Group, made up of Conservative presidents and former presidents of Latin America and Spainsupported this Wednesday the decision of the Ecuadorian president, Guillermo Lasso, to dissolve the National Assembly in the midst of a political trial against him.
The bloc, to which Lasso himself belongs, said in a statement that the measure “It falls within the powers that the Constitution grants it” and “allows for a democratic solution to the serious political crisis and internal upheaval that Ecuador is experiencing.
“By virtue of the powers granted by article 148 of the Political Constitution of Ecuador, President Guillermo Lasso proceeded today [miércoles 17 de mayo] to dissolve the National Assembly,” said the group, launched last March in Santiago de Chile to counteract the progressive wave who lives in the region.
The statement is signed by the Chilean Sebastian Pinera, the Spanish Jose Maria Aznar and Mariano Rajoythe Colombian ivan dukethe Mexican Felipe Calderon and the Ecuadorian Osvaldo Hurtadoamong others.
In a message to the nation, Lasso decreed this Wednesday dissolve the National Assembly, with an opposition majority, and call early general electionsso he will rule by decree until his successor takes office.
Lasso uses a legal mechanism known as “cross death” and made the announcement the day after appearing before the Assembly to make his defense argument against the accusation formulated by the opposition for an alleged crime of embezzlement.
The “cross death”, contemplated in the 2008 Constitution, allows the conservative president to dissolve Parliament instead of waiting for the second day of debate on the motion of no confidencein which 92 votes are required to remove him, equivalent to two thirds of the chamber.
The opposition leader and former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa (2007-2017) called Lasso’s decision illegal, while the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) denounced a “cowardly self-coup d’état”.
Reference-aristeguinoticias.com
