COVID-19 has presented monumental challenges throughout Latin America, including in Ecuador, where the virus has stressed the public health system and contributed to the plummeting price of oil, the principle export. Before the pandemic, Ecuador’s government was already struggling to address a high debt burden. Recently, however, Ecuador has taken important steps to restore economic growth. In early August, it successfully restructured its $17 billion debt to private creditors, overcoming a major hurdle for attracting new investment. Later that month, Ecuador announced a $6.5 billion program with the International Monetary Fund, a significantly larger loan than its previous agreement, which will help Ecuador navigate the coronavirus’s economic fallout.
Please join the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program for a conversation with President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador on Tuesday, September 15, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST. In our discussion, we will explore Ecuador’s path out of the global health and economic crises, its warming relations with the United States after a decade of tensions, and Moreno’s priorities before the February 2021 presidential election.
