Overview
- Vice President Edmand Lara said he is a “constructive opposition,” accused President Rodrigo Paz of governing for the rich, and vowed to expose any corruption he detects.
- Lara stated he will remain in office and will only step down if voters revoke his mandate through a recall.
- He alleged legislators collude to trade votes for posts in state entities, a claim reported without publicly presented evidence.
- Members of both the ruling bloc and the opposition moved to initiate criminal cases against Lara after he refused to retract his statements.
- The rupture coincides with backlash to a decree lifting fuel subsidies, with Paz holding meetings with affected sectors as Lara signals parliamentary moves against the economic package.