Ecuador’s president-elect has vowed to vaccinate nine million people against COVID-19 in his first 100 days in office

Ecuador’s President-elect Guillermo Lasso on Monday promised that over the next three months, nine million citizens will be vaccinated., for which he proposed a schedule of personal visits to pharmaceutical companies abroad.

At the press conference that Lasso called after Sunday’s election day, he pointed out that on the same day he contacted “the foreigner to establish an agenda for a personal visit to the laboratories that manufacture vaccines. in order to ensure the supply of vaccines to comply with the goal of vaccinating at least nine million Ecuadorians in 100 days ”.

After the criticisms and the turmoil that the current administration has experienced in terms of managing the health crisis, Lasso has announced that there will be news regarding the appointment of his cabinet’s health minister, although he has not disclosed it at this time., reported Universe.

As announcements of new president-elect arrive, health authorities confirmed the presence of the Brazilian variant of the virus in the country, a man who was reportedly infected in the Amazon.

This was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Camilo Salinas, who explained that their movements and contacts are already being investigated to determine whether it is necessary to establish epidemiological closures.

Until, The Health portfolio confirmed 347,070 positive for the coronavirus, a disease that has killed 17,298. Lasso will have to face a mistrust of the health authorities because of the scandals that have shaken the vaccination process and the succession of resignations of ministers after mismanagement.

On the other hand, after his victory speech, delivered the day before in Guayaquil, where he is from and the economic core of the country, Lasso thanked the greetings to his triumph from Chile, Colombia, Brazil, the Spain, the White House, the IMF and the European Union, among others.

President-elect will take the reins of a country in crisis on May 24. He will succeed the unpopular Lenín Moreno, who broke with Correa when he came to power four years ago.

Lasso will have to face the economic disaster left by covid-19. To do this, he said at a press conference in Quito, he will seek “from day one a free trade agreement with the United States”.

Ecuador recorded 7.8% drop in GDP in 2020 and it also carries a public debt which represents 63% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Lasso will leave without a majority in the Assembly. His movement, Creando Oportunidades (Creo), achieved minimal representation in the February parliamentary elections, behind the Union for Hope (Unes), the Arauz force, and Packakutik, the political arm of the indigenous peoples who remained behind. The polling gates with its candidate Yaku Pérez.

“Aspiring to transform Ecuador in four years is not possibleEsteban Nichols, political scientist at the Andina Simón Bolívar University, told AFP on Monday.

According to him, the next government could be well served if it implements a “good vaccination plan” and manages to “stabilize the economy”.

Lasso pledged to vaccinate nine million Ecuadorians in the first 100 days of his administration and promote free trade to create more jobs. So far, only 183,000 people have been vaccinated.

Lasso also announced that he would promote the regularization of Venezuelan migrants fleeing the economic crisis.

With information from Europa Press

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