With Ecuador’s presidential elections heading into a second round on April 2, the Coordination of Social Movements, Communities and Nationalities, made up of about 1200 groups nationwide, will support leftist candidate Lenin Moreno, Ecuador's state media outlet El Telegrafo reported.
Moreno fell just short of the 40% and 10 point lead needed for an outright win in the first round on February 19, winning 39.36% of the vote of more than 13 million voters. Right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso came in second place with 28.09%.
Moreno is the candidate of the ruling Alianza Pais (AP) party of outgoing President Rafael Correa. Over Correa’s 10 years in office, increased social spending has almost halved extreme poverty rates, according to a recent report by the Center for Economic and Poverty Research.
By supporting Lenin Moreno-Jorge Glas ticket for the election, each group within the national umbrella social movement coordination will work in their area to develop proposals and projects for the next government.
They also aim to highlight the social and economic achievements under Correa and campaign for a continuation of the government’s social policies.
Rodrigo Collaguazo, president of the coordination, told El Telegrafo that every region will have a socialisation program to present their proposals.
Collaguazo added the project also plans for each group to form a permanent assembly “to be alert and willing to defend democracy and peace in Ecuador”, amid threats by the right-wing opposition to destabilise the country if Lasso and his running mate Andres Paez lose the second round.
“Two different political, social and ideological projects are confronting one another,” Collaguazo said of the political situation in the South American nation. “The one of good living for all, led by the people and expressed in the candidacy of Moreno-Glas. The other, the one with lies, violence, and looting, expressed in Lasso-Paez.”
[Abridged from TeleSUR English.]