Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced on Friday, through an executive decree, a referendum for citizens to decide on the creation of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution—without first obtaining prior approval from the Constitutional Court, as normally required by law.

“The obstruction that certain politicized bodies try to impose on the change the country needs will not stop the will of the Ecuadorian people,” the Presidency stated in a press release.

The decree also confirmed the president’s decision to bypass the constitutional court, with which he is in conflict over limitations imposed on several government laws and actions that have faced challenges for alleged violations of fundamental rights.

According to the Constitution, a popular consultation can only be called after the high court issues a favorable ruling on the constitutionality of the proposed questions—a step Noboa has not taken, as he did not submit the referendum question to the Court.

However, in Friday’s executive decree, Noboa cited another constitutional article stating that a Constituent Assembly can only be convened through a popular vote, which may be requested by the president, by two-thirds of the National Assembly, or by 12% of registered voters.

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“The aforementioned provision is clear, specific, and special within the constitutional framework, prevailing over any general provision or contrary pronouncement, constituting an explicit and clear mandate for all state powers and bodies,” Noboa wrote in the decree.

He added that “the will of the constituent body not to establish additional requirements beyond those contemplated” in this article—which also details the method for electing representatives and the rules of the electoral process—“leaves no room for doubt regarding its application, making it unnecessary to employ other methods of interpretation.”

A U.S. federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, ruling that the filing failed to meet the basic standards of civil procedure.

Judge Steven Merryday of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida described the complaint as “decidedly improper and inadmissible,” stating that it “unequivocally and inexcusably contradicts” the requirements set forth by federal rules. He emphasized that such filings must consist of a “short, plain, and direct statement of factual allegations.”

The judge granted Trump’s legal team 30 days to refile the lawsuit, limiting the complaint to a maximum of 40 pages—less than half the length of the original 85-page submission. Merryday also stressed that the document must not serve as “a public forum for vituperation and invective” or “a megaphone for public relations,” according to CNN.

The Trump Administration announced on Tuesday that the United States will lift the restrictions previously imposed by President Joe Biden’s government on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for Hungarian citizens, after determining that Budapest has adopted the required security measures.

The decision marks an improvement in relations between Washington and Budapest since Donald Trump’s return to power, as the U.S. president maintains close ties with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Like most European countries, Hungary is part of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days using only an electronic authorization known as ESTA.

In 2021, the Biden Administration revoked electronic travel authorizations for Hungarians born outside the country, and in 2023 shortened the validity period of ESTA approvals for Hungarian nationals from two years to one.

The Democratic government argued that between 2011 and 2020, Hungary had issued one million passports without biometric data, which criminals exploited to obtain fraudulent documentation.

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“Now that the Hungarian government has taken the steps requested by the U.S. government to address security vulnerabilities, the restrictions imposed by the previous administration have been lifted, and Hungarian citizens now have greater access to travel between Hungary and the United States,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.

Starting September 30, Hungarian citizens will be able to apply for an ESTA valid for two years with multiple entries to the United States.