UIW Lewis Center of the Americas Welcomes Former Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso Mendoza
The University of the Incarnate Word’s Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas hosted the former president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso Mendoza, last week as part of its Leaders of the Americas Speaker Series.
The speaker series started with the formation of the Lewis Center of the Americas. Previous featured speakers include former Mexican President Vicente Fox (2022), Nobel Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum (2023), and former Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez (2025). “The speaker series is a core part of the Lewis Center mission to help deepen the understanding of the Americas for UIW students, faculty, staff and the San Antonio community,” explained Richard Pineda, PhD, director of the Lewis Center. In addition to a large audience address, the invited speaker also engaged with a smaller, more intimate audience of various UIW honors students. The smaller group included students from the López Scholars cohort, Pi Sigma Alpha political science honors society and the UIW Honors Program.
Former President Lasso was welcomed by Marcos Fragoso, vice president for International Affairs, as well as by Pineda and UIW President Thomas Evans, PhD, who commented on the skilled manner in which Lasso handled the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating strong leadership and resilience.
Lasso, who was visiting San Antonio and UIW for the first time, discussed his childhood and upbringing as one of eleven children from a lower middle-class family. He spoke eloquently of his humble beginnings, working during secondary school to assist with his family's needs. As he grew into adulthood, his professional trajectory soared quickly after he bought a failing bank with a colleague and restored its solvency.
Lasso explained that even with his success in banking, he felt he needed to be a part of positive change in Ecuador. A major part of his decision to enter politics was driven by the idea that he could help strengthen the democratic process in his country. Lasso reminisced that early in his presidency he was asked to ride an armored vehicle in a national military parade, but declined, explaining that he wanted to be seen as force for democratic good and not reliant on the power of the military.
After brief comments addressing his time as president, facing the global pandemic, and attempting to address corruption in the country, Lasso and Pineda shared the stage for a conversation based on questions collected from students and faculty. The conversation covered three major themes: leadership, dealing with the pandemic as a crisis of confidence, and the skills necessary for UIW students to answer the call to the public service.
Lasso noted that corruption could not be tolerated and that he was surprised at the scope of what he encountered as president. He vociferously defended his actions against corruption and the rise of drug cartels in the country. His point was that leaders need to be aware of these challenges and have dynamic ways to address them.
When asked what UIW students should know in preparation for entering public service, Lasso referred to a biography of Winston Churchill, in which Churchill explains that citizens should always study and understand history. Lasso agreed with Churchill and later, in his meeting with honors students, repeated this as a necessary skill for emerging leaders.
“In selecting speakers for the series, we believe it’s important to provide our students insights that can only be garnered from leaders who have faced the crucible of national leadership, especially in times of crisis,” Pineda noted. He added, “Lasso joins the ranks of Lewis Center speakers who have shared unique perspectives on leading in contemporary Latin America; these speakers are the epitome of a world-class education for our students.”
