ECUADOR

On May 20, the president of the Education Committee, Jimmy Candell, presented to the National Assembly the request for a political trial against Finance Minister Richard Martinez. The committee claims that the official “decided in an illegal, arbitrary and anti-technical manner” the budget cuts to the education sector. 

The Legislative Administration Council (CAL) is expected to analyze the request and send it to the Oversight Committee for its report. If the report is favorable, it will go to the plenary and the plenary will be in charge of evaluating whether the lawsuit against Martinez is approved or denied.

The petition was presented with 45 signatures in favor. According to Article 79 of the Organic Law of the Legislative Function, it is a requirement to gather at least a quarter of the signatures for its validation (35 of 137 assembly members). It should be pointed out that the legislative board passed the petition for prosecution on May 6, 2020. 

The motion also argues that the minister “failed to comply” with the Constitution of the Republic, the Organic Code of Planning and Public Finance, the Organic Law on Higher Education and the Organic Law on Bilingual Intercultural Education.