Ecuador Trapped in Legal Void
Ecuador is suffering a judicial vacuum as powerful corrupt sectors, with conservative support, manipulate the courts.

Luis Villacis, legislator for Movimiento Popular Democratico, says the judicial power effectively does not exist and the economic power responds to political interests that pull the strings in courts.

Villacis denounces that dropping charges against ex President Jamid Hamuad is a precedent for what will come, clearing the bankers responsible for the 1999 financial crisis.

The legislator denounced this as the straw that broke the camel's back, just short of opening prison gates to release all felons in Ecuador.

In addition to Villacis, the Civic Control of Corruption Commission has demanded re-opening the case against ex President Mahuad.

Mahuad and ex Economy Minister Ana Lucia Armijos are accused of allowing Ecuadorian banks to remove eight billion dollars from the country in 1999.

Villacis added that Mahuad's executive decree 685 to freeze money in savings accounts violated individual rights, property rights, freedom of contract and the right to work.