Ecuador

President Rafael Correa is expected to call for the shutdown of the opposition-controlled Congress as a new assembly begins to rewrite the country’s constitution. The assembly launched its first session Nov. 29 to start making the changes. Correa’s leftist political movement, Pais, controls more than 60 percent of the assembly. He has called on the body to dissolve Congress, which has blocked many of his proposed reforms, and which he says is corrupt and inefficient. Correa’s opponents say he is trying to grab more power. (VOA)