Constitutional Court

Sept. 18 (UPI) — Ecuador President Daniel Noboa announced Thursday plans to call a voter referendum to ask whether they want a constituent assembly. He said the country must “free itself from institutional captivity” and establish a new legal framework to confront organized crime.

In an official statement, he said Ecuadorians will set the rules for a “new Ecuador” and accused traditional political structures of blocking reforms needed to strengthen his security policy.

According to the presidential message, earlier questions submitted by the executive branch for a public vote “were rejected” by the Constitutional Court, a decision Noboa attributed to “political activism” without naming a specific institution or giving dates.

Noboa’s decision follows other recent measures, including the Sept. 1 replacement of the entire military leadership, which the Defense Ministry described as a new phase in the war against criminal gangs.

The Security Bloc has seized 135 tons of drugs in maritime operations so far this year, a record that already surpasses all seizures made in 2024. Between January and August, authorities confiscated 68.1 tons of cocaine at the ports of Guayaquil, Machala and Posorja, including 27.3 tons at Posorja, which accounted for 40% of the total.

Posorja, a fishing town in the southwest that is home to Ecuador’s most modern port, has become a symbol of the international fight against drug trafficking. Built to boost legal exports, it is now at the center of battles over cocaine routes.

Ecuador has also strengthened cooperation with the United States. The Trump administration pledged $13.7 million in security aid and $6 million in drones to bolster maritime surveillance, along with updates to the extradition treaty and intelligence sharing to combat criminal groups.

The government says this year’s seizures have caused losses of more than $9.3 billion for criminal networks.

“Our goal is to financially strangle drug trafficking and cut off every supply route,” Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said.

July 1 (UPI) — Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra amid ongoing litigation concerning a telephone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen that opponents described as evidence of her failure to perform her duty as leader of the country.

The nine-member panel ruled 7-2 in favor of suspending Paetongtarn from her duties as prime minister, effective immediately, until the court issues its final ruling on the controversial phone call.

The ruling comes at the request of 36 senators who signed a petition asking for her to be suspended under charges of violating the Constitution, based on an audio clip of the conversation between her and the Cambodian politician amid border tensions between their two countries.

In the clip, which was made public by local media on June 18, the prime minister is heard referring to the 2nd Army Region Commander, who supervises the Thai border with Cambodia, as an adversary, while seemingly agreeing with Hun Sen.

The phone call sparked protests in Thailand calling for Paetongtarn’s removal.

According to the Tuesday statement from the Constitutional Court, Paetongtarn claimed the conversation was personal and conciliatory, aimed at maintaining peace and protecting Thailand’s sovereignty.

The senators who asked the court to investigate the clip accused Paetongtarn of “seriously violating or failing to comply with ethical standards.”

The two justices who voted against suspending Paetongtarn issued a minority opinion stating that the facts presented by the senators “were not yet clear or conclusive enough to raise reasonable doubt regarding a constitutional violation” and instead suggested the prime minister be prohibited from exercising powers over national security, foreign affairs and fiscal policy amid litigation, in reflection of the seriousness of the accusations.

Paetongtarn will remain in her dual role as minister of culture, while Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit will serve as acting prime minister.

She has 15 days to present her defense in the case.

June 28 (UPI) — Protestors took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday, calling for the removal of Thailand’s prime minister, less than a year after she was sworn into office.

Demonstrators blocked streets in the country’s capital city, taking issue with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s phone call with Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

The call was recorded and made public this week. In it, Shinawatra appears to be close with Hun, the former prime minister and ex-military officer who is the current head of the Cambodian Senate and the country’s de facto leader.

Shinawatra has since apologized for the phone call, which took place because of a border dispute between the two countries.

Following the phone call, Thai officials sent a letter of protest to the Cambodian government.

Earlier this week, authorities closed Thailand’s border to travelers looking to cross into Cambodia, following a dispute over scams. One Cambodian soldier has been killed in the rising tensions between the neighboring countries.

More than 6,000 people converged for the protests in heavy rain Saturday, Thai police reported.

Local media reported Saturday that Shinawatra reaffirmed the public’s right to peacefully protest, in a country where previous rulers have been overthrown in military coups, including two of the prime minister’s relatives.

Shinawatra became Thailand’s youngest-ever elected leader when she was sworn into office last August at the age of 37.

The leader of the country’s ruling Pheu Thai Party is the third member of her family to hold the title of Thai Prime Minister.

Her billionaire father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck both led the country during separate periods. The family made its money in the telecom industry.

Thaksin served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 until 2006 when he was deposed by the military. He has had previous close ties with Hun and is set to face trial in the coming weeks over charges he insulted the Thai military.

Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister between 2011 and 2014 and was removed by a constitutional court.

June 18 (UPI) — Political and social tensions in Bolivia are intensifying two months ahead of the general elections Aug. 17, raising concerns the vote could be marred by violence, deep polarization and institutional instability.

The unrest began after Bolivia’s Constitutional Court barred former President Evo Morales from running again, citing term limits. His supporters responded with protests and roadblocks across several regions.

The protests have left six people dead, including police officers and farmers. Nearly two weeks of roadblocks and military deployments in key areas have drawn comparisons to some of Bolivia’s darkest periods of political unrest.

Óscar Hassenteufel, president of Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, or TSE, warned in a recent news conference that “dark forces” are trying to prevent the election from taking place. He said public distrust is rising as electoral institutions may not be strong enough to withstand pressure in an increasingly polarized climate.

Despite the TSE’s assurances that the election date remains set after talks with all three branches of government, public uncertainty persists.

The absence of a preclusion law — which would block indefinite legal challenges to the electoral process — has raised concerns. The TSE has warned that without such legislation, the election could be suspended or annulled.

“The country is facing various challenges, and evidently, today our country’s democracy is at risk,” President Luis Arce said at a news conference in Santa Cruz. “Democracy must win. Social peace must win in our country against all destabilizing attempts to stop the election.”

Bolivia is grappling with a deepening economic crisis. Annual inflation was 18.46% in May, the highest level since 2008. Prices for basic goods, such as beef and chicken, have climbed nearly 24% over the past year. Protests over fuel and currency shortages have further intensified social unrest.

A joint report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program warned that acute food insecurity in Bolivia is expected to worsen in the coming months, driven by high inflation and declining foreign reserves.

“This is expected to further weaken import capacity and household purchasing power, limiting access to food,” the report said. It also warned that fuel shortages could disrupt agricultural activity and further reduce corn production, after already below-average harvest in 2024.

According to the U.N. report, as of October 2024, 2.2 million Bolivians — about 19% of the population — were experiencing acute food insecurity.

Any delay in the elections or attempt at electoral fraud could trigger widespread unrest in a country already strained by economic crisis and public distrust, political analyst Franklin Pareja said in an interview with eju.tv radio.

Pareja said rising frustration over the economic crisis has created strong expectations around the election, which many see as a potential turning point for the country.

“There is deep concern that everything in Bolivia is at risk and nothing is guaranteed,” he said.

SANTIAGO, Chile, June 5 (UPI) — Colombia is at a democratic crossroads as President Gustavo Petro clashes with Congress and civil society over political disputes, legislative gridlock and stalled reforms.

At the center of the dispute is Petro’s announcement that he intends to call a national referendum by executive decree to revive parts of his agenda — particularly a labor reform bill recently rejected by the Senate.

For weeks, Petro’s proposal to call a national referendum has polarized the political climate.

His administration says the referendum would allow voters to weigh in on key issues, including healthcare and pension reforms, public debt restructuring and the potential formation of a constituent assembly.

The opposition and several legal experts have called the measure unconstitutional and an overreach of presidential powers.

Colombia’s Constitution outlines specific requirements for calling a national referendum, including congressional approval.

Petro’s opponents warn that bypassing this step would set a dangerous precedent, weakening democratic institutions and the separation of powers.

The possibility that Petro could issue a decree to call a national referendum without congressional approval may lead to a legal challenge before Colombia’s Constitutional Court. The court’s final ruling on the legality of such a decree will be critical in determining the future of the initiative and the balance of power among government institutions.

In addition to the referendum controversy, Petro’s labor reform proposal suffered a major defeat in the Senate, where it was rejected and shelved. The bill, one of the administration’s flagship initiatives to “dignify labor and improve working conditions,” failed to secure enough votes to move forward in the legislative process.

The government’s proposed labor reform included cutting the standard daytime work shift to eight hours, doubling pay for work on Sundays and holidays, formalizing employment for digital platform workers, extending paternity leave to 12 weeks and ensuring equal pay for men and women.

Business groups, such as the National Business Association of Colombia and the National Federation of Merchants have been outspoken in opposing the bill. They argue the reform would have negative economic consequences, including job losses, reduced investment and a rise in unregulated employment.

Despite the government’s efforts and intense debate, the bill failed to win over enough senators, many of whom also raised concerns about the reform’s potential impact on job creation and business competitiveness.

Attention now turns to the Constitutional Court, whose decision will be pivotal for the future of the referendum proposal and the broader institutional balance in Colombia.

SEOUL, May 13 (UPI) — Kim Moon-soo, the candidate from the conservative People Power Party in next month’s snap presidential election, said Tuesday that the party was not considering expelling impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

“Whether former President Yoon decides to leave the party is entirely up to him,” Kim told reporters during a campaign stop in the southeastern city of Daegu.

“It’s not right for our party to tell a president to leave or not,” Kim said. “If we believe that Yoon did something wrong and demand that he leave, then the party shares responsibility too.”

Campaigning for the June 3 election opened Monday, with the PPP’s Kim set to face off against Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, who leads by a sizable margin in opinion polls.

The race comes after months of turmoil following Yoon’s shocking martial law declaration and impeachment in December. He was finally removed from office last month by Seoul’s Constitutional Court, but the lengthy process deepened long-simmering political divisions in the country.

While some PPP primary candidates called for distancing the party from Yoon, Kim maintained his support for the president under whom he served as labor minister.

The 73-year-old was the sole cabinet member who refused to apologize for Yoon’s martial law attempt in a session at the National Assembly and won the strong backing of hardline loyalists who opposed impeachment.

On Monday, Kim offered his first public apology for the “suffering” caused by martial law.

“The public has had a difficult time since the martial law attempt,” Kim told broadcaster Channel A News. “The economy and domestic politics are difficult right now and so are exports and diplomacy.”

Calling it “one of the most extreme measures,” Kim said he did not attend the cabinet meeting where martial law was declared and would not have supported it at the time.

“If I become president in the future, I will not use martial law,” he said. “I will complete democracy through dialogue, persuasion and patience to resolve any issues between the ruling and opposition parties.”

Kim won the PPP nomination on May 3, but then faced a late push by party leadership to replace him with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who some saw as a less polarizing figure with a better chance of defeating Lee. An all-member meeting on Saturday finally confirmed Kim as their candidate.

The Democratic Party’s Lee, who lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election by a razor-thin margin, has also faced barriers to his second bid for the presidency. He is facing a retrial on an election law violation charge that could have threatened his eligibility, but the Seoul High Court last week postponed a hearing until after the election.