Ecuadorian Parliament Votes Against Impeaching President

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ecuadorian parliament voted on Wednesday not to impeach President Guillermo Lasso as called for by the opposition amid ongoing indigenous protests.

"On the proposal to impeach the President of the Republic Guillermo Lasso there are 80 votes in favor, 48 votes against, and 9 abstentions. The motion of legislator Fernando Cedeno is not approved," the parliament said on Twitter.

The National Assembly offered legislators to hold another vote, but not enough of them voted in favor again.

The vote of no confidence was initiated by the opposition Unes coalition, aligned with ex-President Rafael Correa, in the wake of weeks of indigenous protests over economic and political mismanagement. The initiative was supported by the political arm of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which has parliament representation. The impeachment would require support of 92 out of 137 legislators.

On June 13, the CONAIE launched small protests in 11 regions which gained momentum and escalated into unrest the next day, when the police detained the movement's leader, Leonidas Iza, on charges of interfering with the work of public services. The government declared a state of emergency on June 20 and lifted it this past Sunday.

According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the protests in Ecuador have already left six people killed, 166 demonstrators and 120 law enforcement officers were injured, and 108 activists arrested.