Ecuador’s National Assembly has elected a representative of the Pachakutik indigenous political party as its president for the next two years, with the support of allies of conservative President-elect Guillermo Lasso.
Lawmaker Guadalupe Llori who previously served as a local official in Orellana province in the Amazon region, won the National Assembly presidency with 71 votes in the 137-seat chamber.
She was jailed during former President Rafael Correa’s government on terrorism and sabotage charges after organizing protests against oil companies but was later granted amnesty, describing the charges politically motivated.
The alliance between Pachakutik and Lasso’s CREO party effectively sidelined the left-wing UNES party. UNES won the most seats in the congress in elections earlier this year but fell short of an outright majority.
Meanwhile, President-elect Guillermo Lasso will take office in the oil-producing South American country on May 24 after beating out UNES candidate Andres Arauz, a Correa protege, in an April runoff.
Lasso, a former banker, has pledged to revamp crude production contracts to attract more investment to the sector but has also promised to review the need for more drilling in the Amazon region.
Pachakutik candidate Yaku Perez placed third in a first-round vote in February.
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