Ecuador’s leader urged to resign
NZPA-Reuter Quito The Ecuadorean President, Leon Febres Cordero, who was held hostage for 12 hours last Saturday by Air Force mutineers, faces a new challenge with a call by the main Opposition parties for his resignation. But the President, caught in one of the worst crises of his 29-month-old administration, received backing from the chiefs of the Armed Forces, who pledged their commitment to upholding democracy in Ecuador. Ecuador’s largest party, the Democratic Left (1.D.), called for Mr Febres Cordero’s resignation yesterday, attacking him for freeing a rebel general, promising not to
retaliate against his captors, and acting in his own interest rather than national interest. “The act of surrender considered only personal objectives before the honour and dignity of the country. The President of the republic saved himself and his committee, sacrificing the integrity of the Armed Forces and the nation,” said the social democratic I.D. Mr Febres Cordero was abducted by mutineers seeking the release of General Frank Vargas Pazzos, who had been detained since he launched two failed rebellions last March.
The Opposition-domin-ated Congress granted the general an amnesty last
year, which Mr Febres Cordero blocked. The President was released from Taura Air Force base shortly after freeing General Vargas and agreeing to the amnesty.
Shortly before the I.D. resignation call, Mr Febres Cordero said that he had acted simply to secure the release of his aides and to avoid a bloodbath.
“There, I didn’t say a single word aimed at protecting my own-life,” he said, adding that his decision was “personally harder than it would have been to order an attack on the mutineers at the base.”
The LD.’s call for Mr Febres Cordero’s resignation and his replacement
by Vice-President Blasco Penaherrera was backed by four other groups in the seven-party Progressive Bloc, which holds 40 of the 71 seats in Congress. Demands for the President to quit are likely to dominate today’s special Congressional session called to discuss the crisis.
A proposal to impeach Mr . Febres Cordero will also be discussed. Mr Rene Vargas, the general’s brother and a prominent Opposition legislator, has said he will introduce such a proposal. Two presidential bodyguards were killed and five wounded when Air Force mutineers seized MrfFebres Cordero during
an awards ceremony at the Taura base, near the port city of Guayaquil, the President’s home town. Mr Febres Cordero suffered a slight bayonet wound to an arm.
The president of Ecuador’s military court announced yesterday that although charges of insurrection against General Vargas had been cancelled as part of the agreement to free the President and his aides, he still faced bribery charges and an order was out for his arrest
Mr Rene Vargas said the military judge’s announcement was a provocation by the Government to create the right conditions. for a coup by Mr Febtfes Cordero. 1
Ecuador’s leader urged to resign
Press, 21 January 1987, Page 6
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