President Lasso is recovering following successful spinal surgery in Miami

President Guillermo Lasso’s surgery to remove a spinal cyst was successful, doctors at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital said Wednesday afternoon. Lasso’s son said the president was resting comfortably following the operation and will remain in the hospital through the weekend for observation.

President Guillermo Lasso

The surgery was the third attempt to repair damage resulting from a fall Lasso suffered in Spain in 2013. According to his Guayaquil doctor, the first operation was botched at a Spanish hospital and was followed by a corrective procedure at a Cleveland, Ohio (U.S.) hospital in 2018. If the recovery is successful, Wednesday’s operation should allow Lasso to walk again without a cane, his son said.

His doctor had recommended surgery at a private Miami hospital but Lasso insisted it be conducted at Jackson Memorial, one of the largest public hospitals in the U.S.

In a message to the National Assembly last week, Lasso said he expected to return to Ecuador early next week and resume presidential duties on Wednesday.