Briefly: Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the opposition-led parliament yesterday (Wednesday), hours after the start of his impeachment trial over alleged embezzlement. He announced the move via a tweet, followed by a video of the country’s security chiefs affirming the move’s constitutionality.
Trouble has been brewing for a while. Over recent years, Ecuador has seen:
- 📉 a steady economic decline
- 📈 increased gang-related violence and,
- 👮 allegations of corruption at the highest levels.
The right-leaning Lasso came to power in a surprise 2021 election win but soon faced opposition from a left-leaning legislature, which moved to impeach him earlier this year. That process looked set to remove Lasso from office within days, even though it stemmed from a contract signed under the previous government.
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So after months of deadlock, Lasso used Ecuador’s muerte cruzada (mutual death) clause to dissolve the legislature and trigger early elections. He’s said he’ll run for re-election and, in the meantime, is ruling by decree (overseen by Ecuador’s top court).
Intrigue’s take: In a heated environment, folks can reach very different conclusions from the same set of facts. And that’s what’s happening in Ecuador:
- ✊ Opponents: Lasso is a right-wing figure who’s undermining democracy to avoid corruption charges and cling to power, ruling by decree and using the army for political purposes.
- 👍 Supporters: The left-wing legislature has ground the country to a halt, so the president has used the constitution to bring elections forward and let the people decide.
So… which one is true? A lot depends on what Lasso does next: will he usher in swift elections and a smooth transition of power? Or will he use his new decree powers to push through controversial changes? Or maybe a mix of the two.
Also worth noting:
- Lasso’s approval rating was 13% in March. The legislature’s approval rating was around half that.
- A key indigenous organisation in Ecuador, which led major protests last year, has described the situation as a “dictatorship scenario.”
- Lasso’s first act with his new decree powers was to sign into law a bill that boosts tax deductions for families and tweaks them for small firms.
