QUITO : A Vote After 17 Years
- Share via
Sixto Duran is expected to sharply turn Ecuador’s economic policy toward a more austere and free-market orientation after he takes office as President next Monday.
In a speech following his election, Duran said: “The failures we have experienced under the present system are obvious for us to venture without reflection or studies toward radical changes.”
The 71-year-old conservative beat Jaime Nebot of the center-right Social Christian Party in a runoff on July 5. Duran succeeds President Rodrigo Borja, a Social Democrat who beat him in the previous elections in 1988.
Inflation in Ecuador has hovered at about 50% a year during Borja’s administration. To fight inflation, Duran has promised to reduce the size of the government and cut back official spending.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
