AMERICA/ECUADOR - This serious situation may degenerate into anarchy, dictatorship and conflict between brothers of the same homeland: Catholic Bishops voice concern in an appeal for “Constitution and country”

Monday, 18 April 2005

Quito (Fides Service) - “For the Constitution and for the country” is the title of a statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ecuador regarding the serious situation in the country after President Lucio Gutiérrez dismissed the Supreme Court of Justice. In the statement, dated 16 April the Bishop denounce “maltreatment of the Constitution and division of the functions of public power as a blatant attach on the foundations of democracy”. The Bishop say the solution to errors and violence cannot be more errors and more violence warning that the present situation “may easily degenerate into anarchy, dictatorship, and unnecessary fighting between brothers of the same nation”.
The Bishops confirm they willingness to contribute to promoting dialogue and peace, and they urge the social and political forces to reach a peaceful agreement, far from occasions which are seeds of social violence. Calling for intelligent collaboration and good will on the part of everyone to save the nation, the Bishops say “now is the time to think of the good of the country, suffering because of insane arrogance of interest of groups or parties”.
The serious juridical political crisis began on 8 December 2004 when the National Congress declared that the Supreme Court of Justice was dismissed and appointed a new Court completely re-structured. The situation became more acute recently when a state of emergency was declared in the capital, Quito, by President Gutiérrez. After street protests on Saturday 16 April the head of state revoked the state of emergency, but this did not stop the protests from the social political and economic forces which became more intense with calls for the resignation of the president and the government and a return to the rule of law in Ecuador. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 18/4/2005; righe 23, parole 333)


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