Ecuador’s President Lasso does not want to run again in new elections Iranian security forces fire on demonstrators – 25 wounded

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso does not want to run again in the early elections in August. “I will not accept any nomination as a candidate. I do this out of a deep love for democracy and respect for the citizen,” the conservative head of state said in a video published on Twitter on Friday. “In the coming months, I will redouble my efforts for the well-being of Ecuadorians.”

Lasso had dissolved the National Assembly in mid-May during impeachment proceedings against him for alleged embezzlement. The possibility of the so-called “muerte cruzada” (roughly: mutual destruction), which allows the president to dissolve the National Assembly under certain conditions, has been enshrined in the constitution since 2008. It has now been applied for the first time. It is impossible to solve the challenges with a parliament that aims to destabilize the country, Lasso said.

In the impeachment proceedings, the head of state was accused of knowing about unfavorable contracts between the state-owned oil transport company Flota Petrolera Ecuatoriana and the private shipping company Amazonas Tankers, but failing to terminate them after taking office. This would have cost the state several million dollars. Lasso rejected the allegations. (sda/dpa)