Ecuador's Guillermo Lasso wins presidential election [View all]

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Last edited Sun Apr 11, 2021, 10:38 PM - Edit history (1)

Ecuador on Sunday elected a conservative former banker and supporter of free-market policies as president over his populist opponent, setting the country on a pro-business path.

Guillermo Lasso, 65, received over 52% of the vote to clinch the presidency, his third attempt at running for office. He defeated Andrés Arauz, a 36-year-old leftist economist and protégé of powerful ex-president Rafael Correa.

Arauz conceded with more than 95% of votes counted.

Lasso, who will be sworn in on May 24, will inherit a bruised economy and health crisis in the nation of 18 million as the Covid-19 pandemic rages across South America.

At: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ecuadors-guillermo-lasso-wins-presidential-election-11618195085

Ecuadorian President-elect Guillermo Lasso addresses supporters during tonight's victory rally.

His center-right CREO alliance defeated the center-left Union for Hope led by Andrés Arauz after a surprise surge in support.

Lasso, who won despite charges of profiting from Ecuador's dollarization in 2000 and his links to offshore shell companies, will have the task of addressing a deep economic crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.