Ecuador VP resigns amid kickbacks turmoil

Ecuador’s vice president resigned over allegations by a former aide that she took kickbacks while serving as a lawmaker five years ago. Maria Alejandra Vicuna announced her resignation on Twitter, saying the country did not deserve the “instability” caused by the crisis. It came a day after President Lenin Moreno distanced himself, suspending her from the post to allow her time to fight the allegations. In Ecuador, the vice president can only be sacked through an impeachment process in the national assembly, which last week called on her to resign. Vicuna has been in the post for just over a year.