José Arroyo Cabrera

José Alcides Arroyo Cabrera (born January 12, 1981) is an Ecuadorian designer, politician, and activist. Cabrera has served as the Mayor of Pujilí since May 2023.^[1] Cabrera became the first openly LGBT person to be elected Mayor of a city in the history of Ecuador. ^[2][3]

José Arroyo Cabrera
Born	(1981-01-12) January 12, 1981 (age 44) Pujilí, Ecuador
Alma mater	Armed Forces University – ESPE
Occupations	Politician designer LGBTQ activist

Biography

Alcides Arroyo Cabrera was born on January 12, 1981, in the Ecuadorian canton of Pujilí.^[2] He did his primary education in the Mixed Fiscal School of Pujilí, and high school in the Province School of Cotopaxi.^[2] He studied at the Regional Autonomous University of the Andes [es], at the Technical University of Ambato [es], and at the Higher Aeronautical Institute (today University of the Armed Forces of Ecuador),^[2] where he obtained the title of Engineer in Design, a bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration, and a postgraduate in Political Science and Public Administration.

Political career

Candidacy for mayor of Pujilí

In 2022, Arroyo was elected candidate by his party the Citizen Revolution Movement^[4] to lead the coalition Cantonal Union for Change to occupy the Mayor's Office of Pujilí in the 2023 sectional elections.^[5] Among his main campaign proposals were the improvement of the drinking water and sewerage system, the canton's health system, and the construction of community spaces.^[3]

On September 18, 2022, he suffered an attack when two men stabbed him with a knife in his arms and abdomen.^[6] According to a statement issued by the Cantonal Union for Change, the attack was for political reasons,^[5] as he was preparing to make a complaint about alleged acts of corruption in the administration of the then mayor, Luis Ugsha. The inhabitants of Pujilí held a march to demand justice for the case.^[7]

During the election campaign, he was the subject of homophobic attacks by Mayor Luis Ugsha, who sought re-election and described LGBT people during a political rally as "a plague" and "a demon against the law of God."^[8] These statements were rejected by LGBT rights groups such as Voto LGBT+, in addition to the country's Secretary of Women and the human rights organization Fundamedios.^[9][3]

In the elections on February 5, 2023, Arroyo received 63.7% of the votes, making him mayor-elect of Pujilí;^[8] this made him one of the elected mayors with the highest vote and the first openly LGBT mayor in the history of the country.^[3] After winning the election, he said in an interview that his victory was a "clear sign that stereotypes and paradigms have been broken" and "giant steps were being taken to achieve rights."^[2]

Mayor of Pujilí

On May 14, 2023, Arroyo was inaugurated as mayor of Pujilí.^[10]