The state of abandonment in which the vast majority of Ecuadorians have lived for decades, despite the increase in government revenue and technological advances, causes growing despair and mistrust among voters every time the electoral process comes around. and the candidates seem to offer “gold and the Moor” in exchange for their vote.

Since the return to democracy (to say the least), hundreds of presidential candidates have paraded with multiple slogans and songs, colors and promises to win the hearts of the voters, and those who managed to win it and sit on the Carondelet is with a band and a red carpet, with a very honorable exceptions, cheated and betrayed the trust shown. In some cases, due to obvious incompetence; in others, due to neglect; in others, because they were consumed by the virus of power; and in others because they came to power for other goals.

Eight binomials are accepting nominations for the August 2023 snap presidential election

It is true that, once again, we are facing new elections, but with a much more urgent situation than on other occasions: never before have the lives of citizens been so threatened as today.

Yes, the economic situation is very difficult and the lack of employment or source of livelihood for the vast majority is a big problem; as well as the catastrophic state of the health system, neglect of school infrastructure or lack of preparation for the El Niño phenomenon that is already knocking on the door; problems that are being pushed by government after government, and which the current one has not been able to solve.

The challenge of political education for women and men

But the big problem, transversal to all activities of society, which worsens all other problems, is insecurity. It is a priority and it is a topic that primarily attracts the attention of the electorate.

There is not the slightest doubt that the difficult vote of Correísma will lead them to the second round…

Precisely for this reason, from this column, we believe that this campaign will be more emotional than the others, because the sensitivity of all Ecuadorians is on the surface, as it has not been the case for a long time; perhaps comparable, in some ways, to the 2002 election, when the tragedy of public holidays was very much alive.

An unprecedented transition

Therefore, the candidates will have to focus on tuning into that great sensitivity that floats in the environment and connecting with a large voter, with the one who suffers the most, with the one who has the least, with the most forgotten, betrayed and disappointed, and restore hope for better days, before everything to restore the civil peace that we lost a long time ago.

There is not the slightest doubt that the heavy voting of the correísma will put their stage in the second round and, almost certainly, in the first place.

And since they are very unlikely to win in one round, everything suggests that Otto Sonnenholzner, Jan Topic, Yaku Pérez and Xavier Hervas will be the ones who will compete with a real chance of winning the hearts of this mocked, disillusioned, forgotten people and anxious, thus allowing them to reach the second round to face the correísmo.

It will be a very emotional campaign.

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