Political practice in Ecuador has deteriorated so much that many of us are once again in the dilemma of canceling our vote or voting for the least bad candidate. There have already been several presidential election periods in which some citizens were faced with this special decision-making method. Ecuador was failing in every sense. As a country, we are going through one of the worst moments. It is no longer just corruption (rooted at all levels), but also everyday violence, to which is added the indolence and indifference of those who should protect and defend us as a government.

Presidential candidates close the second election round with security measures unprecedented in Ecuador

Neither candidate (I mean him or her alternately) was able to convince. For so many years we have been listening to offers and solutions that do not materialize. Everyone offers to save the country, they say that they will fight against corruption, that their health and education plans are the best. Blah blah blah. We went from skorojevic to skorojevic, from improvisation to improvisation, and we only got more instability and insecurity. The education and public health systems are still in equal decline. Unemployment and underemployment are worse than before, and the cost of living continues to rise. We Ecuadorians live and survive one day at a time. We can’t really make long-term plans, because we don’t know if we will be robbed or killed by then. Ecuador was a land of peace, but now it is a land of terror. The vast majority of Ecuadorians, especially the young, are beginning to think that emigrating is the solution, as the outlook is bleak and uncertain for their future and the future of their children. They are partially right, but not everything is rosy out there either. The saddest thing is that we are gradually losing young professional people from our society.

The Socialist Party wins 44.73% of the votes in the elections for the parish council of Calacalí

“Vote for the least bad”, “vote for the one who does the least harm”, “vote for the one who steals the least”, “vote for one, so that the other does not win”, are emotional and irrational ways of choosing a leader. It shouldn’t be like that. The worst thing, at least for me, is that there is no light on the road. This short presidential term to come will simply be a rehearsal for what is to come in 2025. Let’s not believe that there will be major changes, because time is the biggest factor against it. But at least one should hope that whoever wins will try to achieve a semblance of peace. The damage caused by the pandemic is far outweighed by the violence in which we live and which keeps us imprisoned. There are more and more of us honest and hardworking Ecuadorians and we deserve a peaceful and safe country.

What’s next in the presidential election calendar for the second round

The fact that we had to decide on voting with emotions, and not with reason, is a reliable proof of how backward politics has fallen in our country. It is also the result of a lack of informed and reasoned reflection and debate, which is again a product of a deteriorating education system. If everyone, equally, had access to better education, we would certainly have better candidates and better decide our vote. (OR)