2023-10-15 19:54:48
“Hopefully we can get out of this”
Ecuadorians go to the polls this Sunday. The Sabastián de Benalcázar municipal school, in Carolina, the financial heart of Quito, was packed at midday. César Costales, 87 years old, leaning on a cane, was clear about who should take the reins of the country: “Noboa. He is an honest and correct guy. The other (Rafael Correa) is a fugitive from the country.”
Half his age, Diego Espinel, 42, had a very similar opinion: “I stopped believing in 21st century socialism. Obviously, Lusia (González) is close to Correa. Although they made important changes, now we see all the consequences of what they did wrong. This so-called revolution has many defects.”
Romeo, 49, was asked by his children to please not vote for Luisa González, the leftist candidate, but he has his own criteria and does not let himself be influenced by anyone. “I think she’s less evil than Noboa,” she explained. “She is the one who is really going to solve our security problem. She has a structure, a government plan. With Noboa we would be the same as with Lasso.”
Upon leaving the school, voters laminate their voting certificate. They will need it when they are going to do some procedure with the administration, since voting is mandatory in Ecuador. In one of these positions, Margarita Ochoa, 38, also showed her support for Luisa González. “We lived better with Correismo. Now everything has gotten out of control. I hope we can get out of this,” she said. She is referring to the high levels of violence that the country has experienced since five years ago, when organized crime took control of prisons, ports and customs.
Verónica Franco, 45, firmly opts for Noboa. “It is the best option. We do not want to go back to what was before, we want a better country,” she said. “Correismo sowed hatred among Ecuadorians. I hope Noboa gets that change, although he will only be there for 16 months. If Luisa wins we will go down the path of Venezuela and Cuba.”
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