[ad_1]
Occasions Insider explains who we’re and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes collectively.
On Aug. 9, Genevieve Glatsky, a reporter for the Andes bureau of The New York Occasions, acquired an alarming textual content message: A presidential candidate in Ecuador had been shot and killed on the marketing campaign path.
The textual content, despatched by Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief, led Ms. Glatsky on a quest to grasp the occasions that resulted within the nation’s newest act of political violence. The candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, was an outspoken critic of the ties between drug trafficking cash and Ecuador’s political institution.
“He was identified for being a muckraker and somebody who spoke fact to energy,” Ms. Glatsky stated in an interview. And his views made him a goal.
Right here, Ms. Glatsky, who is predicated in Bogotá, Colombia, shares her ideas on the primary spherical of Ecuador’s election, held Sunday, and why the assassination is a tragic turning level for the nation. This interview has been edited.
Who was Fernando Villavicencio?
Villavicencio was a journalist, activist and former union chief for the state oil firm. He was identified for exposing corruption in Ecuador’s authorities and had an adversarial relationship with Rafael Correa, who was president of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017 and a divisive determine in politics; Villavicencio acquired demise threats after criticizing Correa’s administration and fled to Peru in 2017.
Later that 12 months, he got here again to Ecuador. There was an arrest warrant out for him, however he was cleared of these costs. He ran for workplace within the Nationwide Meeting in 2021 and continued to talk brazenly about corruption, mafias and drug trafficking teams. That earned him a number of enemies, and other people suspect that’s what led to his assassination.
He wasn’t thought-about a high contender primarily based on current polls, right?
Proper. He was polling in the course of the eight candidates. Luisa González, a candidate representing Correísmo, a political motion made up of Correa supporters, was main the polls. It was anticipated that the assassination would negatively have an effect on González within the polls. (Due to Villavicencio’s criticism of Correa, some Ecuadoreans blamed Correa for his demise regardless that there’s no proof of that.) However that didn’t find yourself occurring. Correísmo has a powerful base of help and González nonetheless got here out as the highest candidate with greater than 33 p.c of the vote.
After Villavicencio died, he was changed on the poll by a buddy of his, Christian Zurita, one other journalist. He got here in third with 16 p.c of the vote.
I’m stunned the election wasn’t delayed.
The explanation the election was referred to as within the first place was that President Guillermo Lasso was going through impeachment costs. Earlier than the federal government may impeach him, nevertheless, he used this constitutional mechanism referred to as “muerte cruzada,” which implies mutually assured demise; it calls for brand spanking new presidential and congressional elections and offers Lasso the authority to rule by decree till these elections occur.
That’s why Ecuador is having this presidential election. It’s going to be a brief presidential time period, solely lasting a 12 months and a half. Then they’ll maintain one other election.
The top of the nation’s electoral authority stated the election couldn’t be moved due to constitutional and authorized causes.
What has the final week been like for you by way of protection?
I’m working with José María León Cabrera and Thalíe Ponce, native reporters in Ecuador who’ve been interviewing individuals on the bottom. I’ve been working from Bogotá, talking with analysts and searching on the root causes of Ecuador’s current violence and the way drug trafficking infiltrated the nation so profoundly.
Polls might be unreliable in Ecuador, so it wasn’t actually clear who was going to win the primary spherical of elections. Daniel Noboa, who got here in second, was an actual shock; he was polling within the single digits a number of weeks in the past. He solely surged within the polls within the week earlier than the elections.
.
What can we count on from the runoff election?
Voters will resolve between two candidates in October: González, who represents the get together of the socialist former president, and Noboa, who’s a relative political newcomer. Earlier than the runoff, González will doubtless attempt to discover voters outdoors of Correa supporters. Noboa has the alternative downside. He comes from one of many wealthiest and most well-known households in Ecuador, however as a person and a politician, most Ecuadoreans don’t actually know what he stands for. So he’ll spend these subsequent few weeks attempting to outline himself.
[ad_2]
Source link