María Alejandra Vicuña

María Alejandra Vicuña Muñoz (born 13 February 1978) is an Ecuadorian politician who served as the Vice President of Ecuador under President Lenin Moreno between January and December 2018,[2] previously as the Housing and Urban Development Minister of Ecuador.[3]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vicuña and the second or maternal family name is Muñoz.
María Alejandra Vicuña
49th Vice President of Ecuador
In office
6 January 2018 – 4 December 2018
Acting: 4 October 2017 – 6 January 2018
Suspended from additional functions 3 December 2018
PresidentLenín Moreno
Preceded byJorge Glas
Succeeded byOtto Sonnenholzner
Minister of Urban Development and Housing
In office
24 May 2017 – 6 January 2018
PresidentLenin Moreno
Preceded byLyne Miranda
Succeeded byAdrián Sandoya Unamuno[1]
Personal details
Born
María Alejandra Vicuña Muñoz

(1978-02-13) 13 February 1978
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Political partyPAIS Alliance

Career

Vicuña was first elected to serve in the National Assembly in 2009, and was re-elected to serve again in 2013.[4] While serving in the National Assembly, she served as vice president of the largest commission relating to the health and wellbeing of Ecuadorean citizens, and was a founding member of the Commission on Education, Science, Technology, and Communication.[5]

She was named Minister of Urban Development and Housing by President Lenin Moreno in May 2017.[6] Upon the suspension of Vice President Jorge Glas, Vicuña was named Acting Vice President until such time that Glas's corruption charges were sorted out.[7]

Vice President of Ecuador
María Vicuña speaks after being sworn in as Vice President of Ecuador before the National Assembly

Glas was convicted for corruption in connection to the Odebrecht bribery scandal in December 2017.[8] The National Assembly then elected a new Vice President from a candidate shortlist chosen by President Moreno.[9]

On 6 January 2018, Vicuña was formally sworn in as Vice President of Ecuador.[9] She was confirmed after 70 assembly members voted for her to take office, 17 lawmakers voting against the nomination, and 19 abstentions.[10] She was the second woman to ever serve as Vice President of Ecuador, after Rosalía Arteaga took office in 1996.[7]

On December 3, 2018, Vicuña was suspended from her duties as vice president after a corruption scandal.[11][12] On 4 December 2018, Vicuña announced her desire to resign as vice president.[13][14][15][16][17] On 11 December 2018, Otto Sonnenholzner was elected as Vice President of Ecuador after the National Assembly approved him for the position.[18]

In 2020 she was sentenced to one year in prison for extorting payments from her political advisors in exchange for continued employment.[19] In 2021, this sentence was increased to two years; in October 2022, the prison sentence was reduced to one year, but she was required to pay restitution within six months.[20]

References
    1. El Telegrafo (9 January 2018). "Adrián Sandoya es el nuevo ministro de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda". Retrieved January 9, 2018.
    2. BN Americas. "Ecuador names new vice president". Retrieved January 9, 2018.
    3. Havana Times. "Ecuador Has a New Female VP". Retrieved January 9, 2018.
    4. "María Alejandra Vicuña Muñoz | Asambleistas | Elecciones Ecuador 2013". October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-10-04.
    5. "Lenín Moreno encarga Vicepresidencia a María Alejandra Vicuña y le asigna funciones: dar seguimiento a la consulta | El Comercio". October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-10-04.
    6. "¿Quiénes son los integrantes del Gabinete de Lenín Moreno? | El Comercio". June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-06.
    7. "Psicóloga y administradora de empresas: quién es María Alejandra Vicuña, la vicepresidenta más joven en la historia de Ecuador". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). 5 October 2017. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
    8. BBC News. "Ecuador VP Jorge Glas sentenced for corruption in Odebrecht case". Retrieved January 9, 2018.
    9. "María Alejandra Vicuña es la nueva vicepresidenta; reemplaza a Jorge Glas". El Universo (in Spanish). 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
    10. "María Alejandra Vicuña seguirá como vicepresidenta de la República". El Comercio (in Spanish). 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    11. "Ecuador VP removed, accused of taking kickbacks from aide | Charlotte Observer". Archived from the original on 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
    12. "Ecuador VP Removed, Accused of Taking Kickbacks from Aide | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com.
    13. Zibell, Matías (December 5, 2018). "La "maldición" de los vicepresidentes en Ecuador: Lenín Moreno vuelve a perder a su número dos con la renuncia de María Alejandra Vicuña". BBC News Mundo.
    14. Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (December 4, 2018). "Vicepresidenta de Ecuador salió del cargo por escándalo de corrupción". El Tiempo.
    15. "La vicepresidenta de Ecuador renuncia tras el escándalo por cobrar un porcentaje a sus empleados". abc. December 4, 2018.
    16. de 2018, 4 de Diciembre. "Acusada de corrupción, renunció la vicepresidente de Ecuador". infobae.
    17. "Vicepresidenta de Ecuador renuncia tras ser acusada de corrupción". Diario La Prensa.
    18. "Ecuador: Otto Sonnenholzner, un nuevo vicepresidente de 35 años y sin filiación política". France 24. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
    19. "María Alejandra Vicuña es condenada a un año de cárcel". La República EC (in Spanish). 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
    20. "María Alejandra Vicuña deberá cumplir un año de prisión en la cárcel". www.expreso.ec (in Spanish). 2022-10-30. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
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