There are still ten days left until Ecuadorians return to the polls and decide again on the future of our country. We have entered the end of these elections.

Both candidates wasted one of the most important moments of this final campaign: the second presidential debate. Indeed, the performance of both presidential candidates last Sunday left much to be desired. The responses of both were mechanical and unspontaneous, which gave off a sense of insincerity that is fatal to building trust in the electorate. It has been well said that charisma is nothing but the ability to convey authenticity. Furthermore, the candidates committed the worst sin a politician can commit today: being boring. I’m sure 90% of the viewers changed the channel before the middle of the debate. In a world dominated by Instagram and TikTok, the communicator has to fight to keep the average voter’s attention. Both Luisa González and Daniel Noboa failed at this point.

Outside the presidential debate

It is a real shame that the candidates did not take advantage of this opportunity. As was shown in the last elections and in this first round, the Ecuadorian electorate has matured. Today, the Ecuadorian voter pays attention to the exchange of ideas, and the debates are the ideal moment for the candidates to present their proposals in a dynamic format. It was Daniel Noboa’s excellent performance in the first debate, despite all the odds, that placed him in the second round. Had he replicated, he would probably have already sealed his victory in this election.

But the one who lost the most last Sunday was undoubtedly Luisa González. Indeed, although candidate Correíste was slightly better than her opponent, she needed a huge victory to change the electoral table. Despite his many missteps in the campaign, most polls still give Daniel Noboa a significant advantage, so it is Luisa González who cannot offer to waste any opportunities. I highly doubt that the debate changed almost anyone’s voting intentions.

However, 10 days is 10 days, and in Ecuador it is common for elections to be decided in the last week of the campaign. This is not over. Daniel Noboa would be wrong to believe the polls, which we remember predicting a landslide victory for Yes in the popular consultation. Furthermore, it is certain that the Correísta bench waited for the very last week of the campaign to reveal some kind of surprise at the last minute.

These elections will be decisive for the future of our country. If Daniel Noboa wins, as the polls show, it will show that Ecuador definitely does not want to go back to the past and is ready to give a chance to a new generation of young politicians. If they lose, the door will be opened for the return of Koreanism. The stakes are high.

We’re in the final stretch, but this ain’t over ’til it’s over. (OR)