Ecuador election: Polling begins as spiraling violence, economic troubles bother voters

Ecuadoreans on Sunday (August 20) beganvoting in the presidential election.

The eight presidential hopefuls of the South American nation have pledged to fight huge spurt in crime, which the current government blames on drug gangs, and improve the struggling economy.

On August 9, presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated, leading to security issues taking the centrestage in the election. Six suspects, all Colombians police say belong to criminal gangs, were held in connection with Fernando Villavicencio's assassination. Another suspect died of injuries sustained in the shootout.

According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Sunday, other presidential hopefuls have also reported attacks against them. However, in several cases, the police said that violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. The hopefuls carried out their election campaign wearing bulletproof vests.

Completely atypical election: Expert

Speaking to the news agency AFP, political scientist Anamaria Correa Crespo said that this election is atypical, in a situation basically of horror that Ecuador is going through... due to the existing violence, but which manifested itself in a more acute and atrocious way.

Apart from Villavicencio, several other political assassinations marked the run-up to the vote. Outgoing president Guillermo Lasso called the snap election after he dissolved the opposition-dominated Congress in May to avoid an impeachment trial just two years after his election.

Villavicencio's replacement receives death threats

Luisa Gonzalez, a protegee of Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30 per cent of voting intention. And Villavicencio was replaced by Christian Zurita. AFP reported that ahead of the election, Zurita said he was receiving death threats on social media.

"The threats against my life and my team will not stop us, but they are forcing us to take greater security protocols," Zurita said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He has promised to better equip the police and enshrine intelligence protocols to fight crime, using international loans to shore up social programs.

This time, the leading presidential hopefuls include right-wing businessman Jan Topic, right-wing former vice-president Otto Sonnenholzner, and leftist Indigenous attorney Yaku Perez.

Political analysts have said that Jan Topic, 40, has seen the biggest boost in his popularity.

Nicknamed "Rambo," the former paratrooper and sniper with the French Foreign Legion has vowed to wipe out criminal gangs and build more prisons, emulating El Salvador's Nayib Bukele.

(With inputs from agencies)

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