Indigenous protesters in Ecuador demand presidential vote recount

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ecuador elections - The calm before the storm

By Michael Otto posted on February 23, 2021

Ibarra, Ecuador

Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador’s presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough votes to win in the first round.



Home » Global » Ecuador elections – The calm before the storm
Ecuador elections – The calm before the storm
By Michael Otto posted on February 23, 2021

Ibarra, Ecuador



Feb. 19 — Almost 10 million voters, a record 81% of those eligible, went to the polls Feb. 7, despite the pandemic, to choose among 16 candidates in Ecuador’s presidential elections. The two top vote-getters will compete in the April 11 runoff elections. No candidate received enough votes to win in the first round.

Three center-left parties got 70% of the votes.

Andrés Arauz, representing a continuation of the movement led by former President Rafael Correa, came in first place with 32.7% of the vote. Arauz is a former minister in the government of Correa running for the progressive Union for Hope-Central Democratic Party (UNES-CD).

Lawyer Dr. Yaku Pérez came in third with an unprecedented 19.4% of the vote for his Patchakutik party (PK), which represents the Indigenous Movement and demonstrates mass support for the goals of the uprising.

Entrepreneur Xavier Hervas, the Tik-Tok candidate, was the biggest election surprise, capturing many of the youth. He came in fourth with 15.7% of the vote for the Izquierda Democratica (ID), which identifies as a social-democratic party.

More:
https://www.workers.org/2021/02/54633/