QUITO – The dissolution of the National Assembly with a request to the electoral body to hold elections, known as “cross death”, is a risky move as Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso buys time but also risks his position Let’s put
Legal analyst Ramiro Aguilar told the AP agency that “this is a completely constitutional mechanism” and that the measure helps resolve disputes between the government and the legislature.
It is an extraordinary system that treats its constitution as a way out of a governance crisis. It is provided for in Article 148 of the Ecuadorian Magna Carta of 2008, promoted under the presidential mandate of the progressive Rafael Correa (2007–2017) and is the first time that it has been used.
“A conflict of this nature can go on for four years and it is a conflict that paralyzes the country, hence the ‘cross death’ (dissolution of the assembly) established in the 2008 constitution to resolve those political conflicts were designed to erect institutions, to paralyze institutionalization”, Aguilar explained.
So on Wednesday there was concern from Latin American leaders, who urged Ecuador to stay on the path to democracy.
The United States assured that its ties with Ecuador’s government remained “strong” and declined to draw a comparison with what happened to Peru last year when its then-president, the leftist Pedro Castillo, promoted a similar measure. Gave up and jailed under coup charges. State.
At a press conference, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that President Joe Biden is aware of Lasso’s decision, offered his support for “Ecuadorian institutions and democratic processes” and “in accordance with the wishes of the government and people of Ecuador.” For” expressed his respect.
From Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wished that Ecuador could overcome the political crisis and indicated that his government would remain attentive to the situation.
López Obrador said, “Hope and the brothers of Ecuador can solve it this way, with this process.” “If new elections are called, all political forces will participate and I don’t think there will be political violence.”
From Peru, President Dina Boluarte, who replaced Castillo after his ouster, supported the measures taken by her Ecuadorian colleague.
“We respect the decision adopted by President Guillermo Lasso within the constitutional framework,” Boluarte said on his Twitter account. “We advocate the next electoral process in the sister republic of Ecuador, to be carried out in peace and democracy, within legal channels.”
Meanwhile, Chile, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed hope that the political crisis in Ecuador would be resolved “with strict adherence and respect for the rule of law” through the democratic and institutional mechanisms provided for in the constitution.
Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Kalveren recognized that the situation should be viewed with special care. “There is a constitutional order that is in force in Ecuador and we expect all parties to respect that constitutional order,” he said.
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador this Monday branded Peruvian President Dina Boluarte a “usurper”, who weeks ago accused her of political interference and becoming a dictator.
How did the different unions decide
The Organization of American States (OAS), one of the regional organizations seeking to shore up democracy on the continent, did not immediately comment on Ecuador’s situation.
In the case of Peru, the political entanglement culminated in February with a wave of protests that left more than 60 dead and 1,700 injured.
Some experts on Latin American affairs, including Cynthia Arneson, have warned that the measures taken by Lasso in Ecuador “create great uncertainty and the potential for instability and violence.”
Arneson, former director of the Latin American program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told The Associated Press that if social protests are prolonged and turn violent, they could threaten the regime and force Lasso and the Electoral Council to hold elections. may be forced to proceed. out of trouble.
