The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, faces this Tuesday at the beginning of a political trial in the General Assembly, where the legislature wants to try him for corruption accusations that have not been proven, but could dissolve the chamber and govern by decree for six months if found guilty.
Lasso, a 67-year-old former right-wing banker, assumed power in May 2021 for a four-year term and from the beginning of his term he faced fierce legislative opposition that rejected his main government projects and has permanently blocked his administration.
The opposition accuses him of an alleged embezzlement for not having warned of harm to the State for the signing of a contract between the company Flota de Petróleos de Ecuador and the worldwide crude oil transport company Amazonas Tanker.
Amid efforts to try Lasso, the chamber over the weekend changed its leaders for the 2023-2025 term. The opposition managed to occupy the key positions, such as the presidency and vice-presidencies of the Assembly and decided to start the trial on Tuesday.
Lasso, who rejects the charges, must appear at the hearing and his Minister of Government, Henry Cucalón, confirmed that “he is going to go to the National Assembly to defend his position and demonstrate the truth. This process was born, has developed and will end without any proof”.
Mireya Pazmiño, assembly member leader of the impeachment process, affirmed that “in that public company Flopec there was a whole network of corruption, of mafias and the president knew that, because after this political trial, not only is he left with political responsibility, but also he will have to go to ordinary justice because they are crimes.”
However, Lasso’s lawyer, Edgar Neira, pointed out that the contract was signed in the previous government and anticipated the president’s defense argument.
“Make clear to the country all the efforts that the national government has made so that in the current Flopec administration there is no harm to public resources and this company can generate the profit it has generated from the moment the government of President Guillermo Lasso accepted all the recommendations made by the General Comptroller of the State”.
In this Tuesday’s session, the assembly members will have two hours to support the accusation, after which Lasso will have the same amount of time to defend himself. Afterwards, both parties will have an additional hour for possible replicas.
At the end of this initial process, Lasso will withdraw from the Assembly and a debate will begin in which each of its 137 members will be able to speak for 10 minutes. According to estimates by the same legislators, the final session to determine the fate of Lasso will be held on Saturday.
But in the middle of the process, Lasso could at any time, according to the law, activate a constitutional remedy that allows him to dissolve the Assembly without the approval of any state body.
If he makes this decision, he could govern by decree for up to six months, with the control of the Constitutional Court, and at the same time he should call presidential and legislative elections.
[Con información de Giselle Jácome (VOA) y AP]
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