International

Ecuador’s Parliament sets date for debate of report on accusations against President Lasso

Photo: Infobae

March 3rd |

The National Assembly of Ecuador set for March 4 the parliamentary debate of a report recently presented with the intention of requesting the resignation of President Guillermo Lasso.

The session has the objective of “knowing, analyzing and resolving regarding the Report presented by the Specialized Occasional Commission for Truth, Justice and Against Corruption in the case called ‘the Great Godfather’”, indicated the head of the parliament, Virgilio Saquicela, in a brief statement.

Lasso, who became president in May 2021, has faced accusations for holding offshore accounts (Pandora Papers case), the June 2022 demonstrations with the National Strike and, more recently, another accusation for alleged acts of corruption, made public by the local newspaper La Posta and where he is accused of participating in a corruption scheme in public companies.

The commission that will present the case on Saturday is composed of seven legislators, mostly from the opposition, and was activated in order to examine the accusations of handing over positions and contracts in state-owned companies in exchange for bribes.

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“The report has been approved with six votes in favor and one against,” said committee chairwoman and opposition lawmaker Viviana Veloz, quoted by Reuters. “When confidence in a president runs out, there is no choice but to change the ruler,” she added.

However, for the impeachment trial – the end sought by opposition legislators – to move forward, a majority of the 137 members of the National Assembly must approve the commission’s recommendation and the legislators should submit a formal petition to the president of the legislature.

At that point, the country’s Constitutional Court needs to make way for the trial.

On Tuesday night the Minister of Government, Henry Cucalón, rejected the results of the report in an intervention before the Assembly and described it as a “mamotreto”.

“I qualify it as a mamotreto, a document that has neither head nor tail. For me it has no legal value whatsoever, it is not binding. At the end of the day, the plenary of the National Assembly in the next few days may accept it or not, and even so, if such a mammoth document were to be known and approved, it must be motivated and argued in the presentation of an impeachment trial”, said Cucalón in statements to the newspaper El Comercio.

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The Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas, made up of 37 former heads of state and government, issued on Wednesday a statement on the current political situation in the Latin American nation in which they expressed their alarm.

“Just as we have advocated for the principle of alternation in the exercise of power, for being consubstantial to democracy and the rule of law, we also believe that the terms for which presidents were elected must be respected and complied with,” the letter states.

Ecuador’s Communications Secretariat thanked in a tweet the signatories for their support to the country.

The letter is signed, among others, by former presidents Óscar Arias, of Costa Rica; José María Aznar, of Spain; Iván Duque, of Colombia and Lenín Moreno, of Ecuador.

Precisely on Moreno, Osvaldo Hurtado and Jamil Mahuad, the also former president Rafael Correa launched a harsh criticism. “If anyone had any doubts about the impeachment of Lasso, they will surely be dispelled by the unpresentable who sign the support to this faker. Look who are signing for Ecuador,” Correa said quoting them through a tweet.

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Correa served as Ecuador’s president for three terms, from 2007 to 2017. In 2020 he was sentenced to 8 years in prison -in absentia- for acts of bribery and since that date he resides in Belgium, where he received asylum.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) called for Lasso’s resignation a few days ago and has vindicated his struggle for social improvements against corruption, unemployment and unhealthiness.

International

Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza

Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.

Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.

“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.

Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”

Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..

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“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”

She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.

Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.

International

Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions

Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.

“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.

Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.

The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.

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International

Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.

Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.

“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”

The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.

He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.

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“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.

So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.

Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.