Ecuador congress opens impeachment proceedings against President Lasso

The National Assembly of Ecuador this weekend approved a motion to begin impeachment proceedings against President Guillermo Lasso, with 104 votes in favor of the decision and only 18 against — plus three abstentions.

Under fire for alleged links between his family members and drug trafficking, Mr. Lasso has been in a weak position since his sweeping defeat in last month’s local elections, in which his referendum proposals were struck down and members of his left-wing opposition won mayoral races in the country’s major cities.

President Lasso still has hope of staying in power, however, as the impeachment effort still has several hurdles to clear before it can succeed.

The country’s Constitutional Court must review the assembly’s decision and its supporting documentation to ensure that the accusation is credible. Assembly representatives will be responsible for providing this documentation, which has not yet been submitted.

Then, the case would go back to committee discussion for another round of document review, during which the president would have the chance to defend himself. Finally, the case would go back to Congress, where two-thirds of the members would have to raise their hands to end Mr. Lasso’s term.

Although more than two-thirds voted to start the process, “impeachments depend on political circumstances and can be very volatile,” said constitutional expert Alexander Barahona. “So today’s 104 votes could turn into a much smaller number in a few days, a week, or a month.” 

In a press release yesterday, the Organization of American States (OAS) questioned the assembly’s decision and called for “respect for democratic institutions and the stability of constitutionally established terms.”

Mr. Lasso has rapidly lost popularity since taking office in 2021, facing a frightening wave of drug violence, opposition to his pro-market reform attempts, and a hostile Congress — while the country’s powerful indigenous movements and former left-wing president Rafael Correa have been on the ascendancy.

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