Ecuador's Congress approved Tuesday the creation of a new province, Santa Elena, two weeks after creating the nation's 23rd province Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas.
As many as 57 deputies voted in favor of the plan, which creates the nation's 24th province from the counties of Salinas, Santa Elena and La Libertad, all part of a peninsula facing the southern province of Guayas.
Santa Elena residents, who had come to the capital Quito for the occasion, cheered as they heard the news. In Santa Elena itself, residents announced a parade celebrating the event that will pass through all three counties.
The deputies had discussed the topic amid a heavy police presence and with thousands of peninsula residents waiting.
The debate on the issue was largely partisan: right-wing party members opposed the idea while left-wing members backed it. The measure was supported by the nation's left-leaning president, Rafael Correa.
Source: Xinhua
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