Fernando Arroyo Leon
Quito, Aug 13 (EFE).- Few coincidences were noticed in the electoral debate that seven presidential candidates of Ecuador carried out this Sunday ahead of the elections next Sunday, and in which almost all of them focused on criticizing the management of the current president, the conservative Guillermo Lasso, who is not running for re-election.
The debate, which began with a moment of silence in honor of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, assassinated by hit men last Wednesday in Quito, lasted for about three hours and passed with some shocks from the moderators, the presenters Gisella Bayona and Andrés Jungbluth.
The environmentalist Yaku Pérez (of the “Claro que se puede”) alliance, the correista Luisa González (Revolución Ciudadana), the businessman Xavier Hervas (RETO), the former legislator Daniel Noboa (ADN), the former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner ( Let’s act), security expert Jan Topic (Country Without Fear) and Bolívar Armijos (Friend).
The Construye movement, led by Fernando Villavicencio, has not yet been able to certify Christian Zurita as his replacement in the presidential candidacy, since the CNE still has to await eventual challenges, and for this reason the substitute did not participate in the debate.
LASSO IN THE PEOPLE
If any coincidence emerged from the confrontation, it was to identify President Lasso as the main person responsible for the social and political crisis, but especially for the insecurity that overwhelms the country.
And it is that no candidate has allowed an eventual closeness to the ruler to be hinted at, who is also responsible for the Sunday elections taking place.
Last May, Lasso invoked the so-called “cross death”, a constitutional mechanism by which he dissolved Parliament and called extraordinary elections, although this implied halving his term (2021-2025), at a time when the Legislative he was preparing to vote for his dismissal after being accused of alleged embezzlement (embezzlement).
SECURITY, THE CENTER OF THE DEBATE
The axis on security and the impact of the rise in delinquency and organized crime centered the debate.
Jan Topic, whose specialty is security, recalled that since 2021 there have been 4,570 people who have died violently in the context of a prison crisis that has taken to the streets and is deeply linked to drug trafficking.
Luisa González, who is the correísmo candidate, did not hesitate to ensure that during the government of Rafael Correa (2007-2017), the country was one of the safest on the continent, while Bolívar Armijos proposed creating a new maximum security prison .
Sonnenholzner also offered a “strong hand” and even granted amnesties to police officers who have judicial conflicts for operations against criminals; while Daniel Noboa, son of the banana magnate Álvaro Noboa, proposed consolidating it into an integrated intelligence agency.
Yaku Pérez spoke of prevention, deterrence and repression, but also of a comprehensive strategy against poverty, unemployment and marginality; and Xavier Hervas to militarize ports and airports, to close the way for drug trafficking mafias.
THE ECONOMIC MAZE
The second axis had to do with the economic regime. Noboa promised to invest 300 million dollars in electrical transmission and improve fuel refining in the country to lower energy costs and promote production.
González also spoke of building a petrochemical plant that would allow the country to stop depending on gasoline imports and maintain fuel subsidies.
Pérez, for his part, said that the current “national tragedy” could be mitigated with the collection of tax debts from large delinquent businessmen; while Sonnenholzner favored attracting investment and improving budget execution.
“LET IT GO LASSO”
In the section on the debate on democracy and institutions, Armijos spoke of strengthening the action of local governments and Topic of respect for the autonomy of the functions of the State.
The first thing is “for this government to leave” from Lasso, said the correísta González, while Pérez proposed reforming the political party system and the code of democracy that currently governs the electoral function.
Sonnenholzner said that his proposal is based on the acquisition of technology in public administration, aimed above all at overcoming high corruption.
YES TO YASUNÍ
And regarding the environment, all agreed in their concern for the eventual arrival in the coming months of the El Niño phenomenon and its aftermath of floods.
The majority also agreed to vote “Yes” in the plebiscite on the prohibition of oil extraction from Block 43-ITT, located within the Yasuní National Park, considered the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, which will be held in parallel to the presidential elections. and legislative next Sunday. EFE
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