Ecuador’s leftist presidential hopeful Luisa Gonzalez gave qualified support for IMF help Saturday, telling AFP the fund was “welcome” to assist her country if it wished.

Speaking from her home near Ecuador’s Pacific coast, Gonzalez — the main rival of incumbent president Daniel Noboa in Sunday’s poll — however said support, most notably a recent $4 billion loan agreement, must not come with certain strings attached.

“As long as the International Monetary Fund wants to support Ecuador, without wanting it to make life more precarious for our citizens, without raising VAT, without removing subsidies, without affecting the already battered family economy. Well, welcome,” she told AFP.

Her comments are likely to be closely watched by international lenders, who worry she may scrap the multibillion loan deal with the IMF struck last year.

Her political mentor, Rafael Corea, pushed Ecuador into default in 2008, refusing to pay international creditors and ordering the expulsion of the World Bank’s representative in Ecuador.

The impact of that decision is still felt, with Ecuador paying a high premium to borrow on international bond markets.

Gonzalez is trailing Noboa in the polls, but may yet have enough votes to force a second-round run-off.বিস্তারিত