Hello, and welcome to the Latin America Weekly newsletter! In this issue: Ecuador’s Lasso dissolves Congress. AMLO wants to elect judges by popular vote in Mexico. And Guatemala says goodbye to a critical newspaper.
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Facing impeachment, Lasso dissolves Congress in Ecuador
Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso dissolved Congress today as lawmakers prepared to oust him for mismanaging energy contracts. The move came less than 72 hours before the final impeachment vote, after Mr. Lasso’s several failed attempts to stop the process.
Why it matters. A constitutional provision known as “muerte cruzada“ (mutual death) allows the president to legally dissolve Congress and call early elections, but it has never been used since its creation in 2008, adding to uncertainty in a country plagued by crime and social unrest.
The crisis. While the impeachment process was triggered by allegations of corruption, Mr. Lasso’s weakness stemmed from his woeful approval ratings, which currently stand at 13 percent, as he faces an unprecedented wave of violence that has added to old problems such as...