Ecuador is not Peru but neither is Chile

By: Beatrice E. Rangel - 24/05/2023

Share:     

In addition to the natural confusion caused by the invocation by President Guillermo Lasso of the constitutional norm popularly known in Ecuador as "reciprocal death" since it shuffles the political game by calling general elections.

The causes of this decision lie in the presence of a clear destabilizing movement headed by opponents of President Lasso that has prevented him from governing. Hence, he has decided to resolve the crisis by consulting the sovereign if he wishes to elect him and if, on the contrary, he prefers another figure at the head of the national executive. But the sovereign is also being asked if he wants to be represented by the current congressmen and senators.

Lasso's decision contrasts with that taken by President Pedro Castillo of Peru who, in violation of the Peruvian constitution, sought to dismiss congress and assume full control of Peru. And just as Lasso is suffering under the yoke of former President Correa's followers, Dina Boluarte has to confront daily destabilizing attacks by Pedro Castillo's followers. Both countries suffer the attacks of radical forces whose objective is to place pro-Marxist figures in the instances of power to disarm the institutional scaffolding that prevents the exercise of direct democracy. Useless for history to show you that all the experiments in direct democracy have ended in economic bankruptcy and the establishment of despotic regimes that have massively violated human rights.

The presence of these groups makes it difficult to see the immediate political horizon of Ecuador with optimism. Because it is not a wave of discontent from an organized civil society as is the case in Chile. In that nation, civil society has begun a process of setting limits to the government and preserving the achievements of the last 33 years. It is not about radical or anarchic movements that are willing to take power, but about civic behavior that, within the channels of the rule of law, has decided to destroy the agreement and strengthen democracy.

In Ecuador, a battle is being played between the preservation of the rule of law and the establishment of limits to radical political groups that want to violate it to seize power forever and have made alliances with the dark forces of transnational organized crime. If democracy were to prevail on the continent, it would be violated while transnational organized crime would have a new center of operations. Something very worrying.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».