Photo: CRISTINA VEGA RHOR/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

The impeachment trial of Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, originally set to begin today, has been delayed indefinitely.

Lasso faces charges for embezzlement of funds by a congress with an opposition majority. A two-thirds of the votes is required to oust the conservative President. This would be the first time in 44 years an Ecuadorian president would be overthrown by the legislative.

The counts revolve around the irregular granting of contracts related to oil transportation. Tension rose on Wednesday when Lasso used a constitutional mechanism known as crossed death to dissolve the congress. He argued they were trying to destabilize the country and avoid collaboration between the two branches of government.

The impeachment appears to have hit a road block, as the crossed death seem as a self-coup to avoid trial. Now, the National Electoral Council has 7 days to call for new legislative and presidential elections. The main beneficiaries of this seem to be the left Citizen’s Revolution party, who are likely to have a favorable outcome in the following elections.

In the short term expect the government, backed by security forces, to crack down on any protests by left and indigenous groups demanding that the president does not avoid his trial. In the medium-term, expect public policy to focus on security, economic, and labor issues to gain ground in the run-up to the election.