Ecuador's Lasso seeks 'national agreement' in August elections

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso walks, on the day of his annual report to the nation, a week after dissolving the National Assembly and calling for early elections, in Quito, Ecuador, May 24, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday described coming early elections as an opportunity to unite the country as it grapples with gang violence and political instability after Lasso dissolved the legislature earlier in May.

The embattled leader is governing by decree after invoking a constitutional mechanism on May 17 that dissolved the National Assembly and cut his presidency short, with Lasso citing a political crisis and internal turmoil as justification.