Legislators Start Political Trial Against Ecuadorean President

On Tuesday, the National Assembly began a plenary meeting at 10:17 local time to initiate the impeachment trial against Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso.

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With the presence of 109 out of 137 legislators, the impeachment session began with the interventions of the two interpellants, which should last two hours. Later, Lasso is expected to attend the National Assembly to defend himself for three hours.

After these three first interventions, the parties have the right to make a reply and all legislators are allowed to participate in the debate.

On Saturday, that is, 72 hours after the end of the plenary session, legislators must vote for or against the removal of the former banker who became president of the Republic in May 2021.

The tweet reads, "In her intervention as interpellant of the impeachment trial, Viviana Veloz points out: 'President Lasso will not be able to hide or flee today. He will not be able to hide behind his lawyers' pants. President Lasso today ran out of time'.”

In an anticipated response to the alleged arguments of Lasso's defense, Viviana Veloz, an interpellant who belongs to the Citizens' Revolution movement, clearly stated that the Assembly has the constitutional right and duty to carry out an impeachment, which is a political trial and not a criminal trial.

"Lasso institutionalized hypocrisy and lies as a State policy. When he was a candidate, he said he would never oppose Congressional oversight and he would never persecute adversaries," she said and denounced that Lasso's emissaries have threatened her over the last weeks.

"Outside the National Assembly and in El Arbolito park, supporters and detractors of President Lasso are gathered to express their positions," teleSUR correspondent Elena Rodriguez tweeted.

"Amid applause from the people, the Citizens' Revolution bench, headed by legislator Viviana Veloz, entered the plenary meeting," she reported.