Sixto Durán Ballén

At the end of 1990 he publicly criticized the direction of the PSC in a public statement. In February 1991 he contested the internal elections for the party leadership, in which the Guayaquil faction (led by Febres-Cordero) succeeded in appointing Jaime Nebot as presidential candidate and national director. Durán-Ballén alleged irregularities in the election of party delegates, to no avail (and despite opinion polls reportedly giving him advantage over Nebot).[14][6]

As a consequence, Durán-Ballén and his supporters left the party to form the more right-wing Republican Union Party. This decision was widely popular as it was seen as breaking with the political establishment, even being compared with Peru’s Alberto Fujimori in the media.[15][16] They subsequently entered into a controversial alliance with the Conservative Party.[17] Eventually, Durán defeated Nebot in the second round of the 1992 presidential election.[18]

Durán-Ballén was inaugurated president on 10 August 1992.[1] At age 71, Ballén was the oldest person to have served as president.[12] During his time as president, he actively pursued structural reform to modernize the Ecuadorian state and cut down wasteful bureaucratic spending.[19] During his presidency, Ballén lowered the Ecuadorian inflation from 67% to 24%.[20] The result was a significant reduction of government deficits and a thriving private sector.[20] Durán-Ballén also led Ecuador into membership in the WTO, with negotiations being led by his subsecretary of Foreign Affairs, Patricio Izurieta Mora-Bowen.[12] The admission to the WTO had a significant impact on the nation's political institutions and export competitiveness.[12]

During his presidency, there was criticism towards Ballén's economic policies.[21] Many analysts agree that all these actions carried out under his economic plan meant the prelude to almost absolute insolvency to which the country would arrive in 1998 with an external debt of 16.4 billion dollars.[20] He also faced harsh criticism when he eliminated the External Credit Committee in 1995 and was accused of abuse and subjection to public indebtedness.[22] In response to the corruption allegations against him, Ballén called for a second popular referendum to allow reforms as per modernization of the state, which were largely rejected.[19]

Ballén faced challenges while attempting to secure the modernization of the Ecuadorian economy from the World Bank.[23] The World Bank insistent on the privatization of public services which resulted in the reduction of jobs, the elimination of alleged subsidies and the profitability of the Ecuadorian state management.[23]

In 1995, Ballén proved to be one of Ecuador's most successful war-time leaders when his determined leadership united a divided country under the theme Ni un paso atras which means "not a single step backwards" during the Cenepa War with Peru.[18] His last years as president, he focused on the resolution of the Cenepa War with President of Peru Alberto Fujimori.[24] The war ended with both nations withdrawing troops on 28 December 1995, a few months before Ballén left office.[25]

On 10 August 1996, Ballén was succeeded by Abdalá Bucaram. Upon leaving office, Ballén was praised by the public opinion, while his economic policies and his involvement in the Cenepa War, caused his presidency to have mixed opinions from scholars.[6]

Ballén died in his sleep at his home in Northern Quito on the night of 15 November 2016, from natural causes at the age of 95.[28][29] He is survived by his wife Josefina and their eight children.[28]

His state funeral was held on the following day on 16 November at Quito's city hall.[30] His funeral procession later conclude at a religious service at the Cathedral of Quito.[1] The incumbent president, Rafael Correa did not attend the funeral but he declared three days of national mourning.[31] Former president Gustavo Noboa and Ballén's first vice president, Alberto Dahik, were also those in attendance.[32] His remains were later buried in a vault at the Church of Santa Teresita in Quito.[1]