US at Risk of Being on Wrong Side of History in Ecuador

Over the past two years, Ecuador has undergone a significant decline in development and public wellbeing, with poverty and inequality on the rise and the security situation worsening dramatically. Despite this, the US has continued to support President Guillermo Lasso, with high-level officials travelling to Ecuador and the US Congress passing the US-Ecuador Partnership Act. However, recent corruption scandals involving Lasso’s inner circle have further damaged his reputation, and his attacks on the media and attempts to intervene in investigations have been condemned by media watchdogs. The US should stand by its commitment to fighting corruption and investigate claims of Lasso and his associates holding assets in US jurisdictions, or risk being perceived as an enabler of corruption and authoritarianism.