By Mamela Fiallo
With a National Police hat and together with the First Lady, the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso entered the legislative palace to present a law to strengthen security in the country. Lasso presented a bill for the Armed Forces to support the Police in the fight against crime.
Outside the National Assembly he was greeted by a crowd with banners of support. These civilians reflect the mood of the average Ecuadorian, in terms of the demand for a solution to the worst wave of violence that the country has experienced in its history.
The issue in dispute is that for this bill to be applied, an amendment to the Constitution is required. Well, the one in force since the socialist period of Rafael Correa prevents it. “With this reform of the Constitution, the FF. AA. and the National Police will be able to continuously collaborate in the fight against crime without the need to declare states of emergency”, Lasso assures.
So far the outlook looks promising, as it already has the approval of the Constitutional Court. The next step is to obtain the approval of the Legislative Power, whose largest block belongs to UNES, the functional party of Rafael Correa, whose government established the current Constitution.
For this reason, the president’s speech from the National Assembly focused on calling on legislators and exclaiming that they must “listen” to Ecuadorians. “The Assembly can offer a permanent and lasting solution in the fight against drugs. We arrived with the hope that this Assembly will have the opportunity to vindicate itself with the Ecuadorian people,” Lasso emphasized.
Given that the president has a majority against him in the Legislative Branch, he even summoned his detractors. “I call for unity, so that we act in favor of citizen security. Let’s put politicking aside, it’s time to join the fight against organized crime and violence, ”he said through social networks.
To which he echoed the governor of the southern province of Azuay, stating that the country needs unity to face crime. This province was the scene of one of the worst prison massacres in the country’s history. Therefore, this humiliation affects the entire nation.
The next step is for the Assembly to appoint an occasional commission. You must prepare the reports for two debates that must take place within 90 days. Since there is already an amendment commission, made up of five assembly members from different benches, the process can be expedited.
However, there is the possibility that the Assembly files the reform proposal. This was warned by the head of the bench of the Social Christian Party, Esteban Torres Cobo. He doubts that the 92 votes required for this constitutional reform can exist in the Assembly, despite the favorable ruling of the Constitutional Court.
It should be noted that Lasso came to power in unity with the Social Christian Party. However, once in command, CREO, his party, broke with the PSC in the National Assembly. Which caused a tension that is still valid in both groups.
But the president of the National Assembly, Virgilio Saquicela, insists that “The first power of the State has 137 thoughts but only one in matters of security. We will give the procedure that the Law provides for the benefit of Ecuador”.
So there is a high probability that the Constitution will be reformed and thus grant the armed forces the power to join the Police to combat organized crime. Only it will not be an easy road, because there will be resistance within the Legislative Branch.
With information from La Gaceta