Pre-electoral Report: Presidential and Legislative Elections in Ecuador
Political AnalisysThis August 20, Ecuadorians will elect president, vice-president and 137 assembly members who will hold office until 2025. The elections will take place after current president Guillermo Lasso’s decision to apply the “Muerte Cruzada” (cross death in English) to dissolve the National Assembly and his own mandate on May 17, which forced the country to hold this election. The electoral scenario is taking place in the midst of a political crisis, high levels of insecurity and violence, with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and correista leader Pedro Briones as the most intense milestones. In addition to the inflamed political climate of the last months, the future president will have to articulate with an Assembly that is projected to be fragmented. The combination of these factors will increase the difficulties to build agreements and consensus in order to improve governance indexes in a term of office limited to 18 months.