While the electoral situation remains undefined in Ecuador, a group of indigenous people mobilized Thursday (11) to show their support for the left-wing presidential candidate Yaku Pérez, who accuses a fraud to get him out of the second round.
Patronized by Rafael Correa, economist Andrés Arauz has already secured his place in the next phase and, while the final votes are counted, he leads with 32.66%. Pérez, who spent most of the tally in second place, lost space to curator Guillermo Lasso – the indigenous leader holds 19.42% of the vote, while the rival has 19.72%, with 99.13% of minutes counted.
“The fraud has been consummated,” Pérez told reporters during a demonstration of around 600 supporters outside the headquarters of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Quito, which was surrounded by metal barriers and protected by police.
“Yesterday [quarta, 10], we try at all costs to simply open the cover of the presidential report [onde estão os votos]”To see them again at the Electoral Delegation of Gayaquil.
The indigenous chief, however, said the request was rejected. Pérez insisted on his demand for a recount of the votes in several provinces, including four that have the largest electorate.
According to the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo, the left-wing candidate also filed a complaint with the secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS). He says the entity’s delegates were ignored in the CNE Guayas. Pérez said the complaint will be referred to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the UN.
The left-wing candidate also said former banker Lasso, who is running for the third time, will only go to the second round by ego. “He knows he won’t win against Arauz. He is playing the Correismo game, ”he said, referring to Rafael Correa, his political rival.
With rainbow-colored flags, a symbol of the indigenous movement, their supporters carried signs that read “Yaku is Ecuador. The will of the people is respected ”.
“There are electoral frauds in some provinces, so we are defending democracy,” Oswaldo Rea, who was on duty outside the CNE in the Ecuadorian capital, told AFP news agency. “We will defend until the last consequence. Dr Yaku Pérez must be the president of Ecuadorians, the poorest, the most needy.
“This is why we are here to defend and say enough fraud,” said indigenous leader Blanca Chancoso, receiving cries of “sufficient fraud” from the crowd.
Pérez’s supporters were also concentrated in front of electoral delegations in other cities, such as Guayaquil, a conservative stronghold.
Observers for the OAS mission said Thursday that the margin remains very narrow between second and third place. This is why, they said, it is essential that candidates are sure that their votes are being processed by the electoral authorities.
However, the mission underlined the importance of all parties behaving responsibly and resolving their differences constitutionally.
CNE chief Diana Atamaint said on Wednesday that the organization could complete the preliminary tally within 48 hours.