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[1/4] Ecuadorean presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez waves Ecuador's flag as vice presidential candidate Andres Arauz looks on during a campaign rally, in Quito, Ecuador October 11, 2023. The campaign ahead of Sunday's election has been marked by violence and threats against candidates, including anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio's murder before the August first round. Noboa closed campaigning in Quito on Wednesday with a caravan around the city, though a technical issue with his flight from Guayaquil significantly delayed his agenda. More than 13 million people are obliged to vote in the contest, whose winner will govern during a shortened term until May 2025. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Andres Arauz, Karen Toro, Daniel Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio's, Noboa, Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, hasn't, doesn't, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Manta, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Guayaquil, Santa Elena
The killings took place in a penitentiary in Guayaquil, the South American country's largest city, the attorney general's office announced earlier on Friday. A seventh suspect, also Colombian, was shot and killed by police, while other suspects were later arrested. The second round run-off vote is scheduled for Oct. 15, the culmination of an election cycle marred by numerous incidents of violence. She has said that surging crime is unprecedented and that voters should not allow "terror" to stop them from voting for change. Reporting by Julia Symms Cobb; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Ecuador's, Guillermo Lasso, Daniel Noboa, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Julia Symms Cobb, David Alire Garcia, Robert Birsel Organizations: American, Police, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Quito, Colombian
Ecuadorean authorities said they initiated the investigation because SNAI did not carry out a pending order to transfer the inmates for security reasons. Villavicencio, a prominent journalist who exposed corruption and organized crime, was gunned down while leaving a campaign event in August, bringing the country's rising violence to the spotlight this campaign season. On Friday, six of the suspects, who were identified by authorities as Colombian nationals, were killed in a prison in Guayaquil. The Colombian government condemned the killings and offered its support to Ecuadorean investigators in a statement on Saturday. The second round run-off vote will be held on Oct. 15, ending an election cycle marred by the South American country's rising violence.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, SNAI, Guillermo Lasso, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: Reuters, Police, South Locations: Guayaquil
Ecuadorean authorities said they initiated the investigation because SNAI did not carry out a pending order to transfer the inmates for security reasons. Villavicencio, a prominent journalist who exposed corruption and organized crime, was gunned down while leaving a campaign event in August, bringing the country's rising violence to the spotlight this campaign season. On Friday, six of the suspects, who were identified by authorities as Colombian nationals, were killed in a prison in Guayaquil. The Colombian government condemned the killings and offered its support to Ecuadorean investigators in a statement on Saturday. The second round run-off vote will be held on Oct. 15, ending an election cycle marred by the South American country's rising violence.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, SNAI, Guillermo Lasso, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: Police, South, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil
Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa who has promised to revive his social programs, won 33% support, while Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, was a surprise second-place with 24% of the vote. The contest was darkened by the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio earlier this month. The crime is still under investigation, but Villavicencio, who was replaced as a candidate by his friend and fellow investigative journalist Christian Zurita, came third with 16%. Noboa seemingly gained support after performing well in the only televised debate of the campaign. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Daniel Noboa, Ecuador's, Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio, Villavicencio, Christian Zurita, Sharp, Correa, Guillermo Lasso, Alfredo Espinosa, Espinosa, " Espinosa, Villavicencio's, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Amazon, Thomson Locations: QUITO, Quito, Choco
Six suspects, all Colombians police say belong to criminal gangs, are being held in the murder. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, though in several cases police have said that violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Luisa Gonzalez, a protegee of Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30% of voting intention. Pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner has hardened his discourse since Villavicencio's murder, repeatedly promising that criminals who use violence will be shot by police under his government. "The new president must propose things that are real, not just words," said university student Menaly Luge, 18, who is voting for Villavicencio's Construye party.
Persons: Otto Sonnenholzner, Christian Zurita, Luisa Gonzalez, Fernando Villavicencio, Monica Barba, Rafael Correa, Correa, Daniel Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Yaku Perez, Villavicencio's, Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, William Mallard Organizations: Law, French Foreign Legion, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Quito, QUITO
Police said last week their investigation includes questions about why an armored vehicle normally used by the candidate was in Guayaquil and not with Villavicencio on the day of the murder. "He should have had a much stronger (security) structure," Patricio Carrillo, a former interior minister and legislative candidate who was with Villavicencio at the event where he was murdered, told Reuters. After the event, Villavicencio exited out the front of the sports center, where many people had gathered, Carrillo said, adding that he himself had stayed inside chatting to some friends. Christian Zurita, Villavicencio's replacement candidate for the Construye party, was also at the sports center on the day of the murder. Correa, who in office regularly clashed with Villavicencio, has called the killing a false flag operation to hurt his Citizen's Revolution party.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Villavicencio, Patricio Carrillo, Carrillo, Villavicencio's, Christian Zurita, Guillermo Lasso, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Correa, Gonzalez, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Police, Reuters, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: QUITO, Quito, Guayaquil, Ecuador
She was leading voting intention with about 30% in recent polls, though no polls have been published since Villavicencio's killing. The 54-year-old widower has promised to fight crime with better social programs and data-driven security policies. OTTO SONNENHOLZNERSonnenholzner, a 40-year-old businessman and economist, has promoted himself as a young policymaker seeking to bring "peace, money and progress" to Ecuador. JAN TOPICTopic, 40, a private security and telecommunications businessman, has promised security would be his first and most important focus if elected. Already-printed ballots will show Villavicencio's name and photo, but the electoral authority has said votes will be counted for his replacement.
Persons: Yaku Perez, Henry Romero, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, LUISA GONZALEZ Lawyer Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Correa, YAKU PEREZ, Perez, Carlos, Yaku, OTTO SONNENHOLZNER Sonnenholzner, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Sonnenholzner, El, Nayib Bukele, CHRISTIAN ZURITA Zurita, Zurita, Fernando, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, French Foreign Legion, Central, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Here's, Belgium, Choco, Ukraine, Central American
[1/3] Christian Zurita, who is replacing slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, and vice presidential candidate Andrea Gonzalez gesture after a news conference, in Guayaquil, Ecuador August 16, 2023. Candidates have pledged to fight crime and improve the struggling economy, amid sharply rising violence blamed on drug traffickers and unemployment woes, which has increased migration. Luisa Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30% of voting intention. "We are committing to have zero tolerance for corruption, for organized crime, for all structural violence." Businessmen Otto Sonnenholzner and Jan Topic have rallies planned in Guayaquil, where violence has been acute, and have both promised economic reactivation and security.
Persons: Zurita, Fernando Villavicencio, Andrea Gonzalez, Vicente Gaibor del Pino, Guillermo Lasso, Milton Oleas, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Correa, Yaku Perez, Perez, Otto Sonnenholzner, Villavicencio's, Christian Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Quito, Mexico
It has also brought international attention to the powerful criminal organizations driving the violence that has plagued Ecuador. “By the very fact that we’re not controlling our borders, we’re getting an influx of money that is literally corrupting the country,” Topic added. Topic told CNN that while he admires Bukele, he would be more careful when it comes to respecting human rights. Andrea González Náder – who was Villavicencio’s running mate – told CNN that the fight against criminal gangs and corruption was Villavicencio’s main objective when he was alive. Those aims have not changed, she told CNN from a secret location in Ecuador, which police asked CNN not to reveal for her protection.
Persons: Ecuador CNN — Gissella Cecibel Molina doesn’t, Fernando Villavicencio, Fernando, ” Molina, ‘ Fernando Villavicencio, , , Molina, , Villavicencio, Juan Zapata, Fernando Villavicencio's assasination, Karen Toro, Pedro Briones, Agustin Intriago, Walker Vera, Pity Guzman, Rodrigo Buendia, Bukele, doesn’t, Andrea González Náder –, , Martin Bernetti, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, “ I’ve, Gustavo Petro Organizations: Ecuador CNN, National Assembly, CNN, , Reuters, Manta, Ecuadorian National Police, United Nations Office, Drug, Getty, French Foreign Legion, Electoral Council, Citizen Revolution Movement, European, Colombian, Zetas Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Ecuador’s, , Esmeraldas province, Muisne, South America, United States, Europe, Colombia, Mexico, Balkans, AFP, Ecuadorian, European Union
[1/2] Ecuadorean presidential candidate Christian Zurita, who has replaced assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, speaks during an interview with Reuters prior to Sunday's presidential election, in Quito, Ecuador August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Romero Acquire Licensing RightsQUITO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Ecuador presidential hopeful Christian Zurita, who is running in place of his friend, slain candidate Fernando Villavicencio, said on Tuesday he would better equip the police and enshrine intelligence protocols to fight crime, and use international loans to shore up social programs. Like his predecessor, Zurita is an investigative journalist known for tracking alleged corruption. The two men worked on 300 investigations together over the last decade, Zurita, 53, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Villavicencio's death must be thoroughly investigated, Zurita added, and given how much corruption Villavicencio exposed, the suspect list is long.
Persons: Christian Zurita, Fernando Villavicencio, Henry Romero, Villavicencio, Fernando, Zurita, There's, SLB, Rafael Correa, Luisa Gonzalez, Correa, Alexandra Valencia, Gary McWilliams, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Schlumberger, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Houston
[1/2] A view of the rally site where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed at a campaign event in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File PhotoQUITO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were meeting with Ecuadorean police and prosecutors on Sunday as part of a joint effort to uncover who was behind last week's assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Villavicencio was one of eight candidates crisscrossing the Andean country for votes ahead of the Aug. 20 election. While ballots for the election had already been printed prior to Villavicencio's assassination, votes for him will automatically transfer to the party's replacement. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro, Juan Zapata, Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, David Alire Garcia, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Villavicencio, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, QUITO, American, Spanish
REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The political party of Ecuador's assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday, just a week before the election. Villavicencio's Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the Aug. 20 vote. She had been selected by Villavicencio to be his running made in the snap election called by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso. Villavicencio had been polling around the middle of the pack in a field of eight candidates prior to his assassination. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Andrea Gonzalez, Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro QUITO, Ecuador's, Gonzalez, Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, David Alire Garcia, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Villavicencio's, The, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Spanish
Ecuador awaits funeral for assassinated presidential candidate
  + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
QUITO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Supporters of assassinated Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio have been hosting gatherings in his memory and waiting to see whether his family on Friday will give details of plans for his funeral. Villavicencio's body was released to two family representatives, including his lawyer, on Thursday, according to the attorney general's office. Some family members are believed to be outside Ecuador and traveling back for the funeral. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio waves an Ecuadorian flag as he attends a rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. Violence in Ecuador has surged in recent years, especially in cities along drug-trafficking routes like Guayaquil and Esmeraldas where citizens say they live in fear.
Persons: Ecuadorean, Fernando Villavicencio, Villavicencio's, Villavicencio, Rafael Correa, Luisa Gonzalez, Correa, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, Karen Toro, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Albanian mafia, REUTERS, Albanian, Thomson Locations: QUITO, American, Ecuador, Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Esmeraldas
Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio waves an Ecuadorian flag as he attends a rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Fernando Villavicencio, the Ecuadorean presidential candidate gunned down in Quito on Wednesday, was no stranger to threats and intimidation from powerful figures in Ecuador. Villavicencio also denounced high-ranking executives in Ecuador's oil, mining and power industries – and even big foreign companies including Chinese oil behemoths, Brazilian engineering firms and global oil trading firms. The murder is the first of a presidential candidate in Ecuador's history. A year later, in 2014, Villavicencio went on the run to avoid imprisonment for alleged defamation of then-President Correa.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro, Long, , Rafael Correa, Correa, Villavicencio, I'm, Villavicencio's, Guillermo Lasso ., Steven Grattan, Joshua Schneyer, Brad Haynes, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico's, Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, Prensa, The Workers Press, National Assembly, Lasso, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Belgium, Mexico's Sinaloa, Peru, China, London, New York
Explainer: Why has Ecuador become so violent?
  + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +4 min
A view of the rally site where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed at a campaign event in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Ecuador was reeling on Thursday from the slaying of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio the night before, less than two weeks before elections were to take place. The killing of Villavicencio, a vocal critic of corruption and drug crime that have beset Ecuador, underlines a deteriorating security situation in much of South America. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SECURITY IN ECUADOR? Verisk Maplecroft similarly attributed an "unprecedented surge in brutal criminality" to growing " trans-national drug-trafficking organizations and violent street gangs."
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro, Villavicencio, Verisk Maplecroft, Guyaquil, Guillermo Lasso, Villavicencio's, Lasso, Luis Donaldo Colosio, Colombia's, Luis Carlos Galan, Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner, Jair Bolsonaro, Oliver Griffin, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Colombia's Liberal, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, South America, ECUADOR, Colombia, Europe, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Argentine
QUITO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a vocal critic of corruption and organized crime, was killed on Wednesday evening during a campaign event in northern Quito, authorities said. The violence injured nine other people, including a candidate for the legislature and two police officers. [1/5]Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. This vile act will not go unpunished!," presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez, who is running for Correa's party, said on X.Indigenous candidate Yaku Perez said he had decided to suspend his presidential campaign and demanded the violence stop in a video posted after the incident. May God have him in his glory," presidential hopeful Jan Topic said on X, before also suspending his campaign.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Construye, Karen Toro Villavicencio, Rafael Correa, Correa, Luisa Gonzalez, Yaku Perez, Otto Sonnenholzner, God, Jan, Alexandra Valencia, Valentine Hilaire, Isabel Woodford, Julia Symmes Cobb, Lincoln Organizations: Local, Interior Ministry, Albanian, Manta, REUTERS, Lasso, Thomson Locations: QUITO, Ecuador, Quito, Andean, Chimborazo, Alausi, Peru, Belgium, Carolina
QUITO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The following are reactions to the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on Wednesday. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. AMBASSADOR TO ECUADOR MIKE FITZPATRICK"I am deeply dismayed to learn of the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, presidential candidate and fighter against the corruption and narco-criminals who have done so much damage to Ecuador." PARAGUAY'S PRESIDENT-ELECT SANTIAGO PENA"We repudiate and condemn the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. HONDURAN PRESIDENT XIOMARA CASTRO"We strongly condemn the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, GUILLERMO LASSO, Mayor Intriago, Fernando, RAFAEL CORREA, LUISA GONZALEZ, DANIEL NOBOA AZIN, XAVIER HERVAS, Karen Toro, MIKE FITZPATRICK, SANTIAGO PENA, XIOMARA CASTRO, Alexandra Valencia, Isabel Woodford, Valentine Hilaire, Caroline Pulice, Lincoln Organizations: OF, AMERICAN STATES, REUTERS, U.S, AFFAIRS MINISTRY, Ecuadorian, MINISTRY OF, Thomson Locations: QUITO, OF ECUADOR, Ecuador, Quito, Government, Chile, Ecuadorian Government, Mexico City
QUITO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocked the South American country, where rising drug-related violence is a major concern for voters, leading some of his rivals to suspend campaigning. Nine people, including a candidate for the legislature and two police officers, were injured, it added. "Ecuador has become a failed state," Correa, who now lives in Belgium, said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. [1/4]Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. Indigenous candidate Yaku Perez and law-and-order hopeful Jan Topic both suspended their campaigns, while businessman Otto Sonnenholzner begged the government to take action.
Persons: Ecuadorean, Fernando Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, Rafael Correa, Villavicencio, Correa, Karen Toro, Luisa Gonzalez, Yaku Perez, Otto Sonnenholzner, Construye, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Albanian, Manta, Thomson Locations: QUITO, American, Quito, Ecuador, Peru, Belgium
Police officers work outside the rally site where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed at a campaign event in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The murder of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has made some voters more wary of going to the polls on Aug. 20, making an unsettled election even harder to forecast. Voters said they were afraid of more bloodshed, with some weighing whether to comply with mandatory voting rules. "I am scared and I'm thinking about whether to go vote," said Quito manicurist Margarita Alvarado, 45. "The assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio complicates what is already an atypical and complex political crisis in Ecuador," said Verisk Maplecroft chief analyst Jimena Blanco and lead Americas analyst Eileen Gavin in a note.
Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro QUITO, Margarita Alvarado, couldn't, Alvarado, pollster Cedatos, Verisk, Jimena Blanco, Eileen Gavin, Villavicencio's, Villavicencio, Luisa Gonzalez, Teneo, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Correa, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, Paulina Recalde, Perfiles, Recalde, Fernando, Santiago Avilez, Alexandra Valencia, Tito Correa, Julia Symmes Cobb, Brad Haynes, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Voters, Twitter, Albanian mafia, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Americas
Walk into Cesar Villavicencio's three-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, New York City, and you might think he had two roommates. Villavicencio graduated in 2009, and, like many aspiring Broadway stars, packed his bags for New York City. But in drag, Villavicencio found empowerment that had eluded him. Zachary Green and Lauren Shamo | CNBC Make ItWhen it comes to getting in drag, Villavicencio's costs, just like his income, can be variable. In addition to five weekly shows, Villavicencio performs as Pixie at a residency in Fire Island and at corporate engagements.
Persons: Cesar Villavicencio's, Pixie Aventura, Villavicencio, I'm, Cesar Villavicencio, Zachary Green, Lauren Shamo, John Leguizamo, Vegas Dion, Payless, Cesar Villavicencio Villavicencio, Aventura, let's, I've, he's, Elham, Max, isn't, It's, She's, Pixie Organizations: CNBC, Miami, YouTube, Otterbein University, Salvation Army, Broadway, West, Cornell Medicine, Nursing, New, Fire, Apple, Max Locations: Washington Heights , New York City, Villavicencio, New York, Fire, South Florida, Westerville , Ohio, Columbus, New York City, Aventura, Villavicencio's New York, homebuying
QUITO, May 5 (Reuters) - The oversight committee of Ecuador's National Assembly will debate a draft report that concludes President Guillermo Lasso did not participate in embezzlement and recommends against his impeachment, a lawmaker said on Friday. Oversight committee president Fernando Villavicencio said the draft report is based on an analysis of all the evidence presented in hearings by the committee. "We have prepared and concluded the report which recommends that there is not cause to try or remove President Guillermo Lasso," Villavicencio told TV station Teleamazonas. Regardless of the committee's decision, the report will then pass to the plenary of the 137-member assembly, which will decide whether to hold hearings and possibly remove Lasso. Under Ecuador's constitution, Lasso could call early presidential and legislative elections rather than face a removal vote.
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