An unprecedented fact that plunges Ecuador into instability and that can benefit Rafael Correa

We are a few hours away from the pronouncement in which the President of the Republic of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, has announced the application of Decree 741, with which for the first time in the country this constitutional power is used to dissolve the Assembly and call elections. This unprecedented fact, which is based on the current Constitution, promulgated in 2008 under the correísta regime, has put Ecuadorian citizens on alert.

What happened and Lasso's decision have, from the analysis that we can do in these initial moments, several edges. The first: the president is willing to go home after governing first two years and then for approximately six months with full powers, of course always subject to the Constitution, until elections are held. Two: it is seen that there is support from the Armed Forces and the police, who were alerted and who surrounded the National Parliament, preventing the access of legislators and before other personnel. That is, this support can be inferred from the forces of order in the country. The third is a question: who are the main beneficiaries of this decision by the president?

Those who are best prepared to carry out a presidential candidacy and also have a good performance in the legislative ones will be the members of the party of former President Rafael Correa. This formation has just overcome a very complicated situation in the previous presidential elections, but in the last local elections it has obtained the most important mayors and prefectures of the country and a very important number of mayors and sectional authorities. The decision puts them in a very advantageous and expectant situation in the face of an immediate electoral process.

A concern that exists in the country is the lack of other leaderships, especially in the sector of the right and the center, to counteract what could be an overwhelming participation of the UNES party, the previous Citizen Revolution of Correa and, therefore, there could be an advance of the so-called socialism of the XXI Century that is in force in many Latin American countries.

What can citizens do? To the people who live anguished by the insecurity that has increased in recent times, to be aware of the importance of the processes that follow, especially the electoral process, and to demand from the president, who now no longer has that obstacle that his bills are not approved by Parliament, can make an effective social policy that vindicates its Government. On the other hand, citizens have to reflect deeply on what will be the electoral options that will be presented.

The political parties have an enormous responsibility in this regard to propose better cadres that do not replicate what has happened in the Legislative Assembly with parliamentarians who have not risen to the occasion, have starred in shameful situations and have terrible qualifications in front of the citizens. The great unknown will be the Pachakutik Movement, the Conaie, as an indigenous organization, and other parties such as the Democratic Left and the Social Christian Party, which could be hit hard by an immediate electoral process, given the wear and tear they have suffered during this last couple of years, especially in the face of the failure of mayors such as Guayaquil. in the previous period.

The climate of political instability worries economic and social actors, which contributes to the deterioration of the living conditions of a large majority of the Ecuadorian people.

Rosalía Arteaga Serra was President of Ecuador from February 6 to February 11, 1997. She is also a former vice president.

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