Live
Audio Only
President Nayib Bukele could face impeachment for storming Congress with armed soldiers last year in an attempt to put pressure on lawmakers to pass a bill.
El Salvador's Parliament Tuesday discussed two requests for the impeachment of President Nayib Bukele over his alleged mental incapacity and for militarizing the Assembly on February 9, 2020.
RELATED:
El Salvador: President Bukele's Words on Peace Accord Rejected
The Political Commission led the debate of the proposals, issued by opposition lawmaker Ricardo Velasquez, of the right-wing Arena Party, last week.
During the discussion, which was marked by controversies between pro-government and opposition lawmakers, Congressman Leonardo Bonilla asked the Commission to file both proposals.
"The accusations against the President should have been made a year ago, when he broke into Congress with the military, and not today. The social repercussion of the incident has already passed," he said.
Parliament President Mario Ponce assured they will not be dismissed, although he said that there is no interest in going deeper into the issue.
#ElSalvador | Lawmakers requested an impeachment trial against President Nayib Bukele over his possible mental incapacity.https://t.co/bdeSV0XhsP
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) February 10, 2021
On February 9, Velasquez passed both requests to the Political Commission for considering that Bukele is not qualified to govern.
"The President has built an authoritarian regime," he said a year after Bukele stormed Congress with armed soldiers to put pressure on lawmakers to pass a law.
Bukele pointed to Velazquez's impeachment request and its discussion in the Assembly as " a parliamentary coup attempt."
The escalating confrontation between Bukele's administration and the opposition-majority Parliament comes two weeks ahead of the municipal and legislative elections, in which the ruling party is expected to take control of Congress.
Families are still searching for justice 35 years after U.S.-trained Salvadoran soldiers massacred over 900 villagers in El Mozote. pic.twitter.com/Vgy7OvxSzz
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 11, 2016
Newsletter
