April 16, 2021 last updated 10:16 ET
Guillermo Lasso, president-elect of Ecuador, speaks to supporters at his campaign headquarters following the runoff election, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, April 11, 2021 (AP photo by Angel Dejesus).
With a New President, Ecuador Has a Chance to Heal
Even in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic and a mismanaged economic austerity package, former President Rafael Correa’s bitter legacy of corruption and authoritarianism outweighed the promise of a return to the lavish social spending of the left-wing populist’s time in power.
That appears to be the takeaway from the surprise victory of conservative banker Guillermo Lasso, 65, in Ecuador’s hard-fought presidential runoff election on April 11. With the Andean nation’s economic model at stake—not to mention its free press and arguably its democracy—Lasso overturned a 13-point loss in the February first round to defeat Correa’s protégé, Andres Arauz, 52.4 percent to 47.6 percent. ...