Ecuadorian bishops call for calm, unity amid political crises

Published: 2007-03-13

LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- The Ecuadorian bishops' conference has called for "calm and the unity" amid recent violence and a political crisis in the Andean country. "Ecuador does not deserve and cannot accept this situation," the bishops said. "The time has come to show that we love the country, that we are and feel ourselves to be brothers and sisters, and that we cannot resign ourselves to disappearing as a country and becoming easy prey for power and bad politics," the bishops said in a statement released March 8. The bishops called on the courts to "save democracy and the stability of the country's institutions." Police and fired opposition legislators scuffled as the legislators forced their way into Congress March 13, one lawmaker was injured in the clash. In a similar conflict March 8, at least one legislator and one protester were injured. The recent political crisis stemmed from President Rafael Correa's campaign pledge to rewrite the country's constitution. A referendum on whether to call a constitutional assembly was scheduled for April 15, but Correa and Congress sent the Supreme Electoral Court different proposals for the referendum. When the court sided with the president's referendum, 57 opposition members of Congress tried to start impeachment proceedings against four of the court's seven members. The court in turn dismissed the legislators. The country's constitutional court may now rule on the issue, but Correa, who took office in January, said the referendum and assembly were on an irreversible course.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .