Ecuador will go to the presidential ballot in a new duel between left and right

Ecuador will define its next president on October 15 in a new duel between socialism and the right to govern a divided country, besieged by drug gangs and mourning the murder of a candidate.

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the applicant Louise Gonzalez, dolphin of the former socialist president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), will face the surprise Daniel Noboason of one of the richest men in Ecuadorafter both were proclaimed winners of the elections on Sunday, in which they have obtained 33% and 24% of the votes respectively, after the scrutiny of 98% of the minutes on Monday.

In a tense day, the candidates voted protected by unprecedented security schemes, bulletproof vests and helmets, in the midst of a state of emergency since the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio On August 9.

gonzalez45 years old, and Noboa35, will star in a new clash between the left and the right, which face off for the third time in a row in the small country of 18.3 million inhabitants.

“we are making history”said González as he celebrated his “great win” in this first round, while Noboa assured that “youth” chose it “to win against correísmo”.

The once peaceful country has become a center of operations for drug cartels in recent years. foreign drug and locals that impose a regime of terror with killings, kidnappings and extortions.

“We are heartbroken by so much crimehe told AFP. Magdalena Mejia in the seaside town of padfoot (southwest), where González voted, who could become the first woman president of Ecuador.

In the elections there was a participation of 82% of the 13.4 million Ecuadorians summoned to the compulsory vote. Abroad they registered “difficulties” to pay electronically, according to authorities.

Correísmo expanded and strengthened the State and promoted the modernization of Ecuador although, according to his critics, at the cost of an authoritarian style and peppered with corruption.

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assassination

Added to the violence is an institutional crisis that has the country without Congress for three months, when the unpopular president William Lassoa former right-wing banker, decided to dissolve it and call early elections to avoid dismissal in a political trial for embezzlement.

The face of the deceased Villavicencioa former centrist journalist, was on the ballot papers along with seven other candidates, since they were already printed when he was shot by a Colombian hit man.

He was replaced in the candidacy by the journalist Christian Zuritahis best friend and partner in investigations that exposed major corruption scandals.

One of them led to the sentence of eight years in jail for Beltwho manages the strings of his political force from exile in Belgium.

“These are difficult and dark times for the country”, lamented the 53-year-old candidate, who is third (17%) in the preliminary count.

Right-wingers are next. JanTopicex-sniper and ex-paratrooper with 15%, and ex-vice president Otto Sonnenholzner with 7%, in addition to the left-wing indigenous leader Yaku Pérez with 4%.

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Noboa, the surprise

Ecuador The curtain came down on a short campaign marred by political violence in which a mayor, a candidate for deputy and a local correísmo leader were also assassinated.

The assassination shuffled the letters of the electoral contest, in which Noboa landed by surprise supported by a sector of the right and the young vote, according to experts.

Is son of alvaro noboaone of the wealthiest men in Ecuadorwho affirms that it was a child with “momentum”, a teenager “responsible“and now he has become a young man”successful”.

The candidacy of Daniel Noboawho could become the country’s youngest ruler, rose like foam after the only presidential debate, to which he appeared in a bulletproof vest citing death threats.

Gangs linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels clash over the drug business and use prisons as their operations center, where bloody massacres have occurred that have left 430 inmates dead since 2021.

Last year Ecuador it reached a record of 26 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, almost double that of 2021.

Poverty affects 27% of the population in a dollarized economyand a quarter of Ecuadorians have trabgarlic informal or are unemployed.

A historic referendum to stop the exploitation of crude oil in a part of the Amazon National Park Yasuni was also voted this Sunday, at a time when the world seeks to reduce the fossil fuels and mitigate global warming.

“What planet are we going to leave to our future generations?”, he wondered in Quito the official louis veloso52 years old, who opposes oil, which represents 10% of GDP.

Scrutinized 98% of the minutes, the Yes to keep crude oil underground obtained 59% support.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.