Guillermo Lasso

Biography

Guillermo Lasso began work in finance as a teenager and became chief executive of Banco de Guayaquil, one of Ecuador's largest banks. He was briefly economy minister in 1999 during the banking crisis.

He founded the centre-right CREO movement and ran for president in 2013 and 2017, losing both times. In 2021 he won the run-off against Andrés Arauz and took office in May. His government ran a fast COVID-19 vaccination campaign but struggled with rising violence and prison massacres.

Facing impeachment in 2023, he used a constitutional clause to dissolve the National Assembly and call early elections, in which he did not run. He handed power to Daniel Noboa in November 2023.