The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso denounced this Friday an attempted coup promoted by the leaders of the protests against his governmentwho hours before slipped the possibility of initiating in the National Assembly (Parliament) a process to remove the head of state.
(Read: Ecuador: indigenous people install a popular assembly in the midst of the protests)
In a message to the nation broadcast on television and social networksLasso made “a call to the international community to warn this attempt to destabilize democracy in Ecuador” before the proposal of his dismissal, which was also valued by the assembly members related to Correismo.
(You are interested in: Ecuador: Lasso partially gives in to alleviate indigenous protests)
The president accused to the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), Leonidas Isa, main promoter of the mobilizations, to seek “the overthrow of the Government” after announcing that Pachakutik, the political arm of Conaie, will evaluate requesting Lasso’s dismissal in the Assembly.
The government official regretted that this announcement made by Iza came after the government accepted his request to allow the indigenous movement to enter the House of Ecuadorian Culture to establish a “popular assembly”, one of the conditions that the leader had set to accept discuss with the Executive.
Lasso was also surprised that this Friday Conaie and Pachakutik were talking about promoting his dismissal in Parliament when the day before, he said, they had reached an agreement with representatives of the indigenous movement.
We will defend peace! I call on the protesters to return to their homes for their safety and that of their families. The violence perpetrated by infiltrated criminals shows intentions to destabilize democracy. We will take the measures, within the framework of the law. pic.twitter.com/jK2CqGjcvF
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) June 24, 2022
“This makes it clear to us that he (Iza) never wanted to resolve an agenda for the benefit of the indigenous peoples and nationalities. The only thing he wanted was to deceive his bases and usurp the legally constituted government,” said Lasso, who from the start offered sit down to talk with the promoters of the protests.
In this sense, the Ecuadorian president thanked the signs of support provided by other parties such as the Democratic Left and the Christian Social Party to oppose any attempt to remove him, which would imply early general elections.
Constitutional
The Ecuadorian Constitution, in number 2 of its article 130, contemplates the possibility of dismissing the ruler “due to a serious political crisis and internal commotion”, which can occur within 72 hours once the motion is accepted.
The National Police and the Armed Forces will act with the necessary means to defend, within the legal framework, through the progressive use of force, public order and democracy.
To proceed with the dismissal, the favorable vote of two thirds of the members of the Assembly will be required and if the dismissal is successful, the vice president would assume the Presidency.
Within a maximum period of seven days after the publication of the dismissal resolution, the National Electoral Council (CNE) would call early legislative and presidential elections for the same date.
In his message, the Ecuadorian president considered that “Mr. Iza can no longer control the situation” and “the violence perpetrated by infiltrated criminals has gotten out of hand,” for which he announced that the “national government will use all the resources it the law empowers him to confront vandals and criminals.
lethal ammunition
Minutes earlier, the Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, had already anticipated that the Police were evaluating starting to use lethal weapons (pellets) against the protesters, stating that there are protesters who are already using this ammunition against the security forces.
This announcement came on the twelfth consecutive day of protests where Conaie demands compliance with a list of ten demands, with points such as fuel prices being reduced and frozen, prices of basic necessities being controlled, not state companies are privatized and that oil and mining activity in the Amazon is not expanded.
So far the protests, which began on June 13, have left five dead and no less than 200 injured among protesters and security forces, with serious acts of repression and also violence and vandalism such as the burning and looting of a police station and a ambush a military convoy.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from EFE
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