Cynthia Viteri

Cynthia Fernanda Viteri Jiménez de Váscones (born 19 November 1965) is an Ecuadorian lawyer, journalist and politician. On March 24, 2019, she was elected Mayor of Guayaquil, the second-largest city in Ecuador, in the sectional elections of Ecuador for a term from May 14, 2019 until May 14, 2023. She was the presidential candidate for Partido Social Cristiano in the 2017 presidential elections, and was a candidate in the 2006 presidential elections of Ecuador and finished fifth. Between 1998 and 2007 she was a member of the National Congress. In 2009 she became a member of the National Assembly.

Early life Viteri was born on 19 November 1965 in Guayaquil. Her parents are José Viteri Peña and Leonor Jiménez Campuzano.

Viteri went to the Colegio Inmaculada for her primary education and continued at the Indoamérica de Guayaquil.

Career Viteri was a newsreader at Telecentro. She went on to become public relations manager of Jaime Nebot.

Political career Viteri started her political career in 1997 when she was elected to the National Constituent Assembly for the Social Christian Party. After that congress finished in 1998 she was elected to the National Congress for Guayas Province. Her term ended in 2003. In the 2002 elections she was elected once more to the National Congress. Between 2005 and 2006 she was First Vice President of the National Congress. In that capacity she inaugurated Alfredo Palacio as President of Ecuador.

Her term as member of Congress ended in 2007 when Rafael Correa called for a Constituent Assembly to replace the old Congress, that he deemed corrupt, and draft a new constitution. Viteri was elected to this Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly proposed a National Assembly to replace the National Congress, this was approved by the population in the 2008 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum. Viteri was reelected to National Assembly in the Ecuadorian general election of 2013, this time earning a seat for the National Constituency. The assembly was installed on 14 May 2013. After being elected Viteri became the longest serving legislator in Ecuador.

She was succeeded as mayor by Aquiles Álvarez in 2023 who criticised her lack of progress.

Personal life She is married to Juan Carlos Váscones. She has five children.