Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso Mendoza (born 16 November 1955) is an Ecuadorian businessman and politician. Lasso was the 47th President of Ecuador from 24 May 2021 until 23 November 2023.[1] He was the presidential candidate for the 2013, 2017 and 2021 elections for the party Creating Opportunities.[2][3]
Guillermo Lasso | |
|---|---|
 Lasso in May 2023 | |
| 47th President of Ecuador | |
| In office 24 May 2021 – 23 November 2023 | |
| Vice President | Alfredo Borrero Vega |
| Preceded by | Lenín Moreno |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Noboa |
| Superminister of Economy and Energy | |
| In office August 17, 1999 – September 24, 1999 | |
| President | Jamil Mahuad |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Governor of Guayas | |
| In office August 10, 1998 – August 17, 1999 | |
| President | Jamil Mahuad |
| Preceded by | Rafael Guerrero Valenzuela |
| Succeeded by | Benjamín Rosales Valenzuela |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso Mendoza 16 November 1955 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Political party | Creating Opportunities |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Carondelet Palace |
| Website | Personal website |
In 2013, he came in second place with 22.68% of votes. President Rafael Correa won with 57.17% of votes. In early 2017, he said that he would be running for president again. He would be against his former vice president Lenín Moreno and other candidates. In February 2017, both Lasso and Moreno made it to a run-off election on April 2, 2017. He lost the election with 49% of the vote.
In 2020, Lasso announced his candidacy for the presidency again in the 2021 election. He came in second place, so he moved to the second round of the election in February 2021, against Andrés Arauz.[4] He won the election in the April 2021 run-off.
During his presidency, he helped create COVID-19 vaccination programs and economic relief forms. During his presidency there was also an increase of food and fuel prices. His economic policies caused a series of protests across the country. His administration has been criticized for the government's response to indigenous protests.[5][6] Lasso's approval ratings have been very low during his presidency.[7]
Personal life
changeLasso was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. His parents were Enrique Lasso and Nora Mendoza. He studied Economics and graduated from the San José La Salle High School. In 1980, he married María de Lourdes Alcívar. They have five children.
In August 2022, Lasso announced that he was diagnosed with melanoma near his eye and he was going to have surgery in the United States.[8] The surgery was successful, and he returned to Quito for more treatment.[9]
Banking career
changeLasso was the largest shareholder in Banco de Guayaquil. He was executive president for more than 20 years.[10]
Political career
changeLasso was Governor of the Guayas Province from 1998 through 1999. He was appointed by President Jamil Mahuad to be Superminister of Economy and Energy. He was in this role from August through September 1999. In 2003, President Lucio Gutiérrez hired Lasso to be an Ambassador for a few months
In the 2013 presidential election, Lasso ran against then-President Rafael Correa. He lost the general election in a landslide.
2017 presidential campaign
changeIn early 2017, Lasso announced his second presidential campaign to replace President Correa for Creating Opportunities in the 2017 presidential elections. His campaign's theme was to create 1 million more jobs in Ecuador.[11]
Lasso lost the election after winning 49% of the vote to Moreno's 51% of the vote.[12]
2021 presidential campaign
changeIn 2020, Lasso announced his third presidential campaign to replace his 2017 rival Lenin Moreno. He was at first seen as the front-runner but Rafael Correa-supporting candidate Andrés Arauz became his rival. In February 2021, Arauz won the majority of votes to go to the second round. Lasso came in second place beating Yaku Pérez Guartambel. Lasso then beat Arauz in the run-off in April.
Presidency
changeLasso became Ecuador's 47th president on 24 May 2021.[13] He became the country's first center-right president since Sixto Durán Ballén's presidency (1992–1996).[14] His main focus for his first 100 days was to increase the country's vaccination rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.[15]
In June 2022, a series of protests against Lasso's economic policies and raising fuel prices began, mainly led by indigenous Ecuadorians and students.
In May 2023, the National Assembly officially began a second impeachment process against Lasso.[16] On 17 May 2023, Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by forcing muerte cruzada.[17] This is the first time an Ecuadorian president used this measure.[18] Two days later, Lasso said he would not run for president in the 2023 election.[19][20] On 15 October 2023, former National Assembly member and businessman Daniel Noboa was elected to replace Lasso.[21]
References
change- ↑ "Ecuador goes with conservative banker in presidential vote". Associated Press. 11 April 2021.
- ↑ "CREO enrolled Lasso-Solines binomial". Archived from the original on 2012-11-25. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ↑ "In that case the opposition should unite around a single candidate who, according to ARCOP, would be Guillermo Lasso, with 26% of voter preference in the same survey." Correa’s reelection is uncertain Archived 2013-02-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Leftist Arauz, conservative Lasso advance to Ecuador presidential run-off". Buenos Aires Times. 22 February 2021.
- ↑ "Repression of protests is causing human rights crisis in Ecuador". Amnesty International. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ↑ "Indigenous protester dies in Ecuador as violence increases". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ↑ "CEDATOS: 54,6% desaprueba la gestión de Guillermo Lasso". Pinchincha Comunicaciones. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ↑ "Ecuador president going to U.S. cancer center following melanoma diagnosis". Reuters. 17 August 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ↑ "El presidente Guillermo Lasso fue diagnosticado con un melanoma y por eso viajará a hacerse exámenes a Estados Unidos". El Universo. 14 August 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ↑ Mark Weisbrot: Media can't ignore financial scandal in Ecuador's presidential election, TheHill, 24. March 2017
- ↑ Guillermo Lasso inicia su campaña electoral visitando puerta a puerta a ciudadanos en Guayaquil Archived 2017-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, ecuadorinmediato.com, 2017-01-03 (Spanish)
- ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-ecuadoreans-choosing-president-close-race-46528194
- ↑ "Ecuador's Guillermo Lasso Wins Presidential Election". The Wall Street Journal. 11 April 2021.
- ↑ "Perfil: Guillermo Lasso, Primer Presidente de Ecuador de la derecha en 18 anos". CNN Espanol. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ↑ "Guillermo Lasso: Ecuador's new president faces uphill struggle". BBC. 24 May 2021.
- ↑ "Ecuador Assembly Begins Impeachment Hearing Against President Lasso". USNews. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ↑ Valencia, Alexandra (17 May 2023). "Ecuador president dissolves legislature, bringing elections forward". Reuters. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ↑ "Ecuador's President Dissolves Congress Amid Impeachment Trial". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ↑ "Presidente Guillermo Lasso reveló que no será candidato en estas elecciones". El Telégrafo. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ↑ "After dissolving legislature, Ecuador's president says he's leaving, too". The Washington Post. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ↑ "Daniel Noboa, political neophyte and heir to banana empire, elected president in Ecuador". MSN. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
Other websites
change
Media related to Guillermo Lasso at Wikimedia Commons
- Guillermo Lasso's personal page
- Biography by CIDOB Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)