Guillermo Lasso declares victory in the Ecuadorian presidential election▶ Click here for a larger view
In the Ecuadorian presidential election in South America, right-wing candidate Guillermo Lasso (65), who was a financier, won.
In the Ecuadorian presidential election final ballot held on the 11th (local time), candidate Lasso from the Center-Right Opportunity Creation Party (CREO) is recording 52.5% of the votes with about 97% counting.
Opposite candidate Andres Araus, 36, of the Alliance for Hope for the Center Left, was effectively elected by 5 percentage points.
Although no official announcement has been made by the election officials, local media such as Elcomercio referred to candidate Lasso as the’elect.’
Candidate Lasso also declared victory when the results were slanted. He told his supporters, “Today is the day when all Ecuadorian citizens decide the future. The people voted to express the need for change and their desire for a better tomorrow.”
Candidate Araus also admitted his defeat and congratulated Lasso.
Candidate Lasso will take over from President Lenin Moreno on May 24 and lead Ecuador for four years.
Cheering Lasso supporters▶ Click here for a larger view
In the first round of voting on February 7th, Araus, the successor of former President Rafael Correa (in power from 2007 to 2017), surpassed Lasso by 13 percentage points, but in the final, the reverse was unfolded.
At the time, Lasso was confirmed to join the final after two weeks of voting in a fierce battle with the indigenous candidate Yaku Peres, who had an unexpected propaganda.
At that time, it was predicted that Araus would also win the final and the socialist government would return to Ecuador again in four years.
President Moreno, who served as vice president of the former Korea regime, won the 2017 presidential election as a left-wing ruling party candidate.After taking office, he broke up with his predecessor and implemented a policy close to the right.
Former President Correa, who is staying in Belgium on charges of corruption, was also expected to return to Ecuador with Araus’ victory, but neither the return of socialism nor the return of Correa was destroyed.
The Latin American leftist block, which seemed to gain strength by successive left-wing candidates winning the presidential elections in Mexico, Argentina, and Bolivia in the past few years, also failed to gain friendly forces in Ecuador.
The Lasso couple at the time of the campaign▶ Click here for a larger view
Candidate Lasso, a native of Guayaquil, Ecuador, is a financer and entrepreneur who served as president of the Guayaquil bank, and began his politician career as governor of Guayas in 1998.
They also ran for the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections, and both failed to finish in second place.
The third challenge, this presidential election, promised to revive the economy by actively attracting foreign investment and creating jobs. Economic support for the agricultural sector was also pledged.
Pro-marketist Lasso’s victory is good news for foreign investors as well, according to Reuters and Bloomberg News.
After taking office, Lasso will take on a difficult task to revive the Ecuadorian economy, which has become weaker due to the falling international oil prices and the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).
Ecuador decided to receive $6.5 billion in financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year, and last year’s economic growth rate recorded -7.8% in the aftermath of Corona 19.
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