Sixto Durán Ballén

Sixto Durán Ballén was a leader in Ecuador.

He was an architect too. He designed big buildings in the city of Quito.

He worked in many ways to help his land. He was a mayor for many years. Later, he became the president of Ecuador.

He led his people during a war with Peru. He helped the two lands find peace. He also worked to change how money was used.

He was a very busy man. He lived to be 95 years old.

He is remembered for his many jobs.

Sixto Durán Ballén was a leader from Ecuador.

He was also an architect. He designed many big buildings in Quito. One was the Legislative Palace.

He started his political life early. He helped start a group called the Social Christian Party. He served as a minister and a mayor. In 1992, he became the president of Ecuador. At age 71, he was the oldest president ever.

As president, he worked to change the economy. He helped lower inflation. He also helped Ecuador join the WTO, a group for world trade. Some experts had different views on his money plans. They worried about the country's debt.

In 1995, there was a war with Peru. This was called the Cenepa War. Durán Ballén led the country during this time. He used the phrase "not a single step backwards" to unite the people. He worked with the leader of Peru to end the war. Both sides took their troops home in 1995.

He lived to be 95 years old.

A statue of him stands in Quito today.

Sixto Durán Ballén was a leader who helped shape the country of Ecuador.

He was both a politician and an architect. As an architect, he designed many important buildings in the city of Quito. These include the Legislative Palace and the headquarters for the Municipality of Quito. He was born on July 14, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were on a special mission in the United States when he was born. He later moved to Ecuador to study and work. He graduated first in his class from Columbia University in 1945.

His path to leadership started with many different jobs. In 1955, he helped start a group called the Social Christian Party. He later served as a minister of public works from 1956 to 1960. He also worked in Washington, D.C., for the Inter-American Development Bank. After returning to his work in architecture, he ran for mayor. He was elected as the mayor of Quito in 1970. He was even re-elected to that position in 1974. These roles helped him learn how to lead people and manage cities.

In 1991, Durán Ballén made a big change in his political life. He left the Social Christian Party to start a new group. This new group was called the Republican Union Party, or the PUR. He ran for president for the third time in 1992. He won the election and became the 37th president of Ecuador. At age 71, he was the oldest person to ever serve as president. He started his term on August 10, 1992. His win was very popular with many people in the country.

As president, he worked hard to change how the country handled money. He wanted to modernize the economy and stop wasteful spending. He helped lower inflation from 67% down to 24%. He also led Ecuador into the World Trade Organization, known as the WTO. This helped the country trade more with other nations. However, some scholars had different opinions about his economic plans. They worried that the country's debt would become too large later on. He also faced hard jobs when working with the World Bank.

During his presidency, a conflict called the Cenepa War happened in 1995. This was a war between Ecuador and Peru. Durán Ballén used a famous slogan to bring his people together. The phrase was "ni un paso atrás," which means "not a single step backwards." He worked with the president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, to find a solution. Both countries agreed to take their troops home on December 28, 1995.

Durán Ballén lived to be 95 years old. He died in his sleep in November 2016. Today, a statue of him stands in Quito to remember him.

Sixto Durán Ballén was a prominent Ecuadorian politician and architect. He served as the 37th president of Ecuador from 1992 to 1996. Beyond his political career, he was a skilled architect who designed major urban structures. His work included the Legislative Palace and the headquarters for the Municipality of Quito. He also designed the IESS headquarters in El Ejido. These buildings remain important parts of Quito's urban landscape today.

Durán Ballén's early life took him between the United States and Ecuador. He was born on July 14, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents, Sixto Durán-Ballén Romero and Maria Eugenia Cordovéz y Cayzedo, were on a diplomatic mission in the U.S. during his birth. He completed his grammar school education in Guayaquil and Quito. Later, he attended San Gabriel high school, which was run by Jesuits. He eventually studied architecture at Columbia University. He graduated first in his class in 1945.

His political journey involved several different roles and organizations. In 1955, he co-founded the Social Christian Party (PSC) with Camilo Ponce Enríquez. He served as the minister of public works from 1956 to 1960. Later, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the Inter-American Development Bank. He served as the deputy director of Projects Analysis there. After returning to private architecture, he was elected Mayor of Quito in 1970. He won re-election as mayor in 1974. He also served as the Minister of Housing from 1984 to 1988.

A major shift occurred in his political life during the early 1990s. In 1991, Durán Ballén left the Social Christian Party. He felt there were irregularities in the party's internal elections. He and his supporters formed a new, conservative group called the Republican Union Party (PUR). This move was very popular with the public. People saw it as a break from the established political system. In 1992, he ran for president for the third time. He defeated Jaime Nebot in the second round of the election.

Durán Ballén was inaugurated on August 10, 1992. At 71 years old, he was the oldest person to serve as president. His administration focused on structural reforms to modernize the Ecuadorian state. He aimed to reduce wasteful bureaucratic spending. One major success was lowering inflation from 67% to 24%. This helped reduce government deficits and supported the private sector. He also led Ecuador into the World Trade Organization (WTO). This was achieved through negotiations led by Patricio Izurieta Mora-Bowen. Membership in the WTO changed the nation's export competitiveness.

However, his presidency also faced significant challenges and criticism. Many analysts believe his economic plans led to high national debt. By 1998, the country's external debt reached 16.4 billion dollars. He also faced difficulties with the World Bank. The Bank pushed for the privatization of public services. This led to job reductions and the removal of certain subsidies. In 1995, he faced criticism for eliminating the External Credit Committee. Some accused him of contributing to public indebtedness. He responded by calling for a referendum on state modernization, but it was rejected.

In 1995, Durán Ballén managed a military conflict known as the Cenepa War. This war was fought between Ecuador and Peru. To unite the country, he used the slogan "ni un paso atrás," meaning "not a single step backwards." He worked with Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori to resolve the conflict. Both nations agreed to withdraw their troops on December 28, 1995. While the public viewed him favorably, scholars hold mixed opinions on his presidency. His Vice President, Alberto Dahik, faced impeachment for allegedly using public funds. However, these claims were not properly supported.

After leaving office on August 10, 1996, Durán Ballén remained active. He served as a deputy for the Pichincha Province in 1998. From 2001 to 2003, he was an ambassador to London. He wrote his autobiography, "A mi manera... Los años de Carondelet," in 2005. Durán Ballén died in his sleep on November 15, 2016. He was 95 years old. A state funeral was held in Quito.

He is remembered as both a builder of cities and a leader of his nation.