President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, protesters angered by an economic meltdown overran the interim leader’s offices, and it was unclear who, if anyone, was in charge.
Tag: Sri Lanka
Your Thursday Briefing: Sri Lanka’s Leader Flees
Plus President Biden visits Israel, and negotiations continue over Ukraine’s blocked grain.
Sri Lanka’s Acting President Has a Complicated Political History
A prime minister six times over, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership has been equated with Sri Lanka’s economic ambitions as well as its collapse.
A Timeline of How the Crisis in Sri Lanka Developed
In recent months, Sri Lanka has run out of food and fuel, prompting a swelling protest movement. Here’s a timeline of how the situation has unfolded.
The acting president declares a curfew to rid the nation of a ‘fascist threat.’
In his first address as acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency and pledged to retake government buildings that protesters have overrun.
The Maldives may not be the Sri Lankan leader’s last stop.
For deposed leaders, the choice of where to hole up after being ousted can be determined by a number of factors, including historical and political ties between the countries, and, for some, extradition treaties.
Sri Lanka’s Protest Movement Began With Candlelight Vigil
The goals are disparate and there are no clear leaders. The protesters included students and trade unionists, Catholic nuns and Buddhist monks, farmers and middle-class professionals.
Why Sri Lankan Protesters Demanded the President’s Resignation.
For many Sri Lankans, food and fuel became either impossible to find or too expensive to buy.
Protesters March in Sri Lanka After President Flees Country
Security forces fired tear gas in an effort to disperse people. Families with young children were among those marching.
Sri Lanka’s Parliament Holds Key to Who Will Lead Next
The spotlight is now on a parliament that has long frustrated the island nation of 22 million, with lawmakers and political parties engaging in protracted and messy fights over positions of power.