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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 17 May 2023
Stage set for Ecuadorian president or lawmakers to be

booted out of office

By REGINA GARCIA CANO National Assembly.
and GONZALO SOLANO The president, who has had
Associated Press medical issues through-
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — out his term, arrived at im-
Ecuador was locked in a peachment proceedings in
showdown Tuesday be- the assembly Tuesday after
tween its conservative pres- they already began, hold-
ident and its opposition-led ing onto a person’s arm as
legislature that was turning he walked.
the country into the latest Lasso categorically reject-
Latin American nation torn ed the accusations, insist-
between rival constitution- ing there was no proof or
al powers. testimony of wrongdoing,
The opposition was widely and spoke with sarcasm
expected to reach the about the impeachment
92 votes necessary to re- proceedings.
move President Guillermo “I would like to begin by
Lasso some time this week, extending my appreciation
but he could dissolve the to the members of the As-
legislature to keep his job sembly... who have dedi-
and govern by decree. The cated themselves to this
Ecuadorian constitution unfounded process with
would allow that until new Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso speaks during a session by National Assembly where so much spirit,” Lasso said.
presidential and legislative opposition lawmakers seek to try him for embezzlement accusations in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, “I want to deeply recog-
elections take place. May 16, 2023. nize them because ... they
Whatever happens, the Associated Press have stretched the limits of
faceoff added political and Peru. But many in the Ecuador and Colombia for transport company Flota human imagination.”
instability to the problems country have become an- the global firm Control Risks. Petrolera Ecuatoriana and This is the second time the
tormenting Ecuadorians, gered by their elected of- “We anticipate that the the private entity Amazo- opposition has tried to im-
most recently an increase ficials’ failure to deal with progressive deterioration in nas Tankers. The accusers peach Lasso, but last year
in drug-related violence, in- joblessness, violence, extor- terms of security that Ecua- argue that Lasso knew the it didn’t get enough votes.
cluding several massacres tion by gangsters and petty dor has experienced in the contract was full of irregu- Lasso did not immediately
in prisons over the past two crime. last year will persist,” she larities and cost the state say during the hearing if he
years. People feel the govern- said. millions in losses. would dissolve the Assem-
Ecuadorians have long ment is “totally disconnect- Lawmakers accuse Lasso Lasso, a former banker, was bly. He told foreign report-
thought of everyday life ed from their most urgent of not having intervened elected in 2021 and has ers in April that he would
as stable when compared needs,” said Laura Lizarazo, to end a contract be- clashed from the start with not hesitate to do so if his
to its neighbors, Colombia a senior analyst covering tween the state-owned oil a strong opposition in the removal were imminent.q

E.U. countries adopt law banning products which fuel deforestation

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN tion by regulating the trade verify that the goods they large as member country countries to make sure they
Associated Press in a series of products driv- sell in the EU haven’t led Luxembourg. can adapt to the new leg-
BRUSSELS (AP) — The 27 Eu- ing the decrease in forest- to deforestation and forest “Effectively implemented, islation without hurting their
ropean Union countries on ed areas across the world. degradation anywhere in the law could significantly economies and people’s
Tuesday formally adopted Under the legislation, com- the world since 2021. reduce greenhouse emis- livelihoods.
new rules that should help panies trading palm oil, cat- The regulation also covers sions that result from the “This will require incentives
the bloc reduce its contri- tle, wood, coffee, cocoa, derived products such as clearing of tropical forests for vulnerable groups like
bution to global deforesta- rubber and soy will need to chocolate or printed pa- for food and other com- smallholder farmers to shift
per. modities,” said Stientje van toward deforestation-free
Forests are an important Veldhoven, the World Re- practices, ensuring they do
natural means of removing source Institute regional not get left behind in this
greenhouse gas emissions director for Europe. “And transition,” she said.
from the atmosphere, since it could help protect criti- Forests around the world
plants absorb carbon diox- cal biodiversity and water are increasingly under
ide when they grow. resources in tropical rainfor- threat from clearance for
According to the World Re- ests.” timber and agriculture, in-
source Institute, a forested The law will force compa- cluding soybean and palm
area the size of 10 soccer nies to show that goods oil. The U.N. Food and Ag-
fields disappears in the they import comply with riculture Organization es-
world every minute and rules in the country of ori- timates that 420 million
the EU says that without the gin, including on human hectares (1.6 million square
new regulation it could be rights and the protection of miles) of forest an area
responsible for the loss of Indigenous people. larger than the EU were
Cut down trees lie near the limit of the Cordillera Azul National 248,000 hectares (612,000 Van Veldhoven added destroyed between 1990
Park, Peru’s Amazon, on Oct. 3, 2022. acres) of deforestation per that the EU should now and 2020.q
Associated Press year a surface almost as cooperate with producing