Ecuador's Guillermo Lasso wins presidential election

[peppertree]

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.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. Well that's disappointing ... lets see how that works out for them ...

Will it be unbridled destruction of the natural world in the interest of profit, like it is in Brazil? Crushing of unions and decent wages and benefits in the interest of paying off debt and appeasing the globalists? Or is Lasso less of a fascist than JB?

[peppertree]

2. He does seem to be a lot more even-keeled than Bolsonaro - but then, who isn't!

After 4 years of Moreno - a progressive-turned-hard-right ideologue - I'd like to think Lasso will be an improvement for them.

Ya veremos...