Tuesday 10 / June / 2025
Polls opened in Ecuador on Sunday as 13 million citizens were called to vote for a new president to replace Lenin Morena who is not standing for reelection.
Ecuador is suffering from an economic downturn, made worse by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The leftwing candidate Andres Arauz is hopeful of winning enough votes in the first round to avoid a runoff as voters reject austerity measures. A low turnout is expected to bolster his support.
A record number of 16 candidates are standing for election.
Ecuadorians likely to reject austerity
Arauz's main rival, the conservative candidate and ex-banker Guillermo Lasso, has a hard sell given the population's distaste for austerity policies.
The socialist candidate follows in the footsteps of former president Rafal Correa and has promised $1 billion (€836 million) in direct payments to families and to overturn the conditions of the $6.5 billion aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"We have to continue convincing (people), so that ... our victory, the victory of hope, will be in a single round," Arauz wrote on his Facebook page on Friday. "Let's do this right away."
Lawyer Yaku Perez is expected to come third, representing an environmental and indigenous movement that is aligned with the anti-Correa left.
Turnout will play a key role
Pollsters expect a runoff vote as no candidate has polled more than 50% in the run-up to the election.
However, a low turnout was expected to help the leftwing candidate. Voting is mandatory by law in Ecuador and abstention is punished with a $40 fine.
It is expected that middle-class voters are more likely to pay the fine to avoid catching coronavirus.
Working-class voters, who cannot afford to pay the fine, are more likely to vote for Arauz.
Voters also face fines of up to $100 for failing to wear a mask to the polling stations.
Ex-president Correa and his protege
Outgoing President Moreno is leaving a devastated economy behind him — two million people are sliding into poverty and unemployment has doubled to around 13%.
Correa fled the country under the presidency of his former ally Moreno after being accused of corruption for which he was convicted in absentia.
He remains popular in his home country for presiding over economic prosperity driven by an oil boom and loans from China which funded social programs.
His conviction barred him from running as Arauz's vice-presidential running mate.
