In a scenario marked by criminal violence and a clamor to stop it, Ecuadorians head to the polls today to decide the country’s future An unusual presidential runoff. The contested candidates are Luisa Gonzalez, representative of the Chorista movement, and Daniel Noboa, the center-left candidate supported by right-wing forces. Election Day takes place in a tense post-election atmosphere A candidate was recently killed A wave of violence shook the country.
Gonzalez, who is supported by the Citizens’ Revolution (RC) movement and linked to the former socialist president Rafael CorreaHe expressed his hope when casting his vote at a polling station in Kanuto on the southwest coast of the country. The candidate said: “The platform is the victory of Ecuador, that is, the victory of the citizens’ revolution.”
Ecuador has seen an increase in the activity of drug cartels with international connections, throwing the country into crisis The terrorist regime that claimed the lives of thousands of peopleincluding cases of extreme violence such as dismemberment and corpses hanging on bridges.
Daniel NoboaHe is 35 years old and seeks to become a… The youngest president in the history of Ecuador. He has received support from right-wing forces and calls himself centre-left. On the other hand, Luisa Gonzalez, 45, aspires to be that way The first woman to become President of Ecuador By popular vote.
13.4 million Ecuadorians are allowed to exercise their compulsory voting from 7am to 5pm, and it is scheduled to close at 7pm in Argentina. Opinion polls predicted a close contest.
Diana AtamentThe President of the National Electoral Council officially opened the second round of the presidential elections in Ecuador. Election security is ensured by the presence of about 100,000 army and police officers deployed across the country.
The winner of this election will rule Ecuador for approximately 17 months.and the right’s presidential term reached its peak Guillermo LasoWho dissolved Congress and called early elections to avoid his dismissal Political trial for corruption. This new mandate is expected to serve as a sort of preliminary campaign for the four-year presidential election in 2025, which will determine the country’s course in the short term.
In addition to the institutional crisis, Ecuador faces a crisis Climate of political violence and an environment of economic uncertainty. The country uses the US dollar as its official currency, and its poverty rate is 27%. Eight political leaders participated in the elections, including a mayor, two municipal council members, a congressional candidate and a presidential candidate. killing In the middle of the campaign.
Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Noboa have committed themselves to fighting crime and drug trafficking gangs, where the homicide rate has quadrupled in recent years, reaching 26 homicides per 100,000 people. Candidates and journalists were forced to travel protected by vests, helmets and armored cars due to the violence that broke out.
Within the scope of proposals Daniel Noboa It seeks to boost the economy and employment, and provide credit facilities and tax incentives to small and medium-sized companies. One of its most prominent proposals is to create Prison ships to isolate peaceful prisoners and cut their ties to criminal networks.
For her part, Luisa Gonzalez represents the continuity of the political influence of Rafael Correa, exiled and convicted of corruption. Although retaining his independence, Correa remains an influential figure in Ecuadorian politics compared to Belgium. Gonzalez proposes a more supportive state after a series of right-wing governments that followed his mentor.
In the first round, Noboa received 23% of the votes, while Gonzalez led with 34%. Both candidates will face difficulties in Congress Not obtaining an absolute majorityWhich may complicate the implementation of his reforms at a critical time the country is going through.
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