Presidential candidacy of former VP Lenin Moreno gets boost with new endorsement

The presidential prospects of Lenin Moreno received a major boost Saturday when the recently chartered Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) said it supports the former vice president.

Former Vice President Lenín Moreno.

Moreno, who was vice president during the first six years of President Rafael Correa’s administration has said he will only consider running for the presidency if he is nominated by Correa’s Alianza País party. Representatives from Pais attended Saturday’s MIR announcement, indicating a strengthened position for Moreno in the upcoming País nomination process.

Moreno and current Vice President Jorge Glas are considered the leading candidates for the País nomination, which will be announced in early October.

In its announcement of support, MIR said that Moreno has consistently supported the ideals of the left, including support for programs to support the poor and handicapped, as well for pushing for more funding for education and environmental protection. He currently serves as Special Envoy for the United Nations Secretary General on Disability and Accessibility and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

In public polling of potential presidential candidates for the February 2017 election, Moreno consistently ranks at the top of the field, ahead of Glas and even Correa.

Moreno is to the left of Correa on many political positions, analysts say, although he has criticized the president for his hard-line against the rights of the news media.