Source: Reuters
“Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree on Wednesday, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections and heading off an attempt by opposition politicians to impeach him. Police and military decked in riot gear guarded the National Assembly building from behind barricades in capital Quito, allowing no one inside. Opposition politicians wanted to impeach Lasso over accusations he disregarded warnings of embezzlement related to a contract at state-owned oil transportation company Flopec, charges the president denies. … The turmoil in Ecuador is the latest episode of volatility in a region that saw Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo removed from office in a December impeachment trial and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress.” (05/17/23)