Ecuador: President Correa Wins Reelection

With the majority of votes counted, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa appears to be headed towards re-election without the necessity of a run-off. He joins former president José María Velasco Ibarra as the only man to occupy the presidency more than once. Correa's party, PAIS Alliance, also captured the majority of seats in the National Assembly giving it increased power in the country.

Photo by Ecuadorian Presidency and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciaecuador/3480496889/

Photo by Ecuadorian Presidency and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciaecuador/3480496889/

His victory gives Correa to chance to strengthen what he calls “21st Century Socialism.” Ecuadorian bloggers are reflecting on what must be changed of improved if the goal of lowering poverty can be realized.

Joselias Sánchez [es] is a teacher and journalist in Manta and elaborates upon three points of what he has seen during the Ecuadorian elections. He writes that the results are not surprising and adds on some statistics:

Su triunfo, inobjetable ratifica su poderosa subyugación sobre los ciudadanos ecuatorianos. Según el exitpoll a boca de urna, el 55,2 por ciento de los 10 millones 591 mil electores sufragaron a favor del Mandatario – candidato. Está masa electoral está integrada por 9 millones 111 mil 162 ciudadanos, 715 mil 972 analfabetos y, cuatro sectores que, por primera vez sufragan por así disponerlo la Constitución: 55 mil 066 militares, 39 mil 501 policías, 507 mil 534 adolescentes entre 13 a 18 años, y 86 mil 426 extranjeros con cinco o más años de residencia en el país.

His triumph, unquestionably confirms its powerful subjugation on Ecuadorian citizens. According to the exit poll, 55.2 percent of the 10,591,000 voters backed the presidential candidate. This electoral mass is composed by 9,110,162 people, 715,972 illiterate, and four sectors that for the first time went to polls by mandate of the Constitution: 55,066 members of the military, 39,501 police officers, 507,534 adolescents between 13 – 18 years, and 86,426 foreigners with five or more years of residency in the country.

Bloggers are also taking a closer look at the results. Fatima Efigenia [es] points to the difference in the percentage of votes that Correa received during this election and his favorable rating and the previous Constitutional Referendum, where Correa has been receiving close to 70%

Among those who did not support Correa is Santhros of Autentico Ecuatoriano [es] who criticizes the goal of socialism from the administration, saying that Karl Marx would laugh at his current version. He thinks that Correa's socialism does not work for everyone, just for determined groups:

Donde no hay justicia de tribunal, no hay justicia social. Un estado engrosado acompaña a una economia raquitizada. Solo la producción elimina la pobreza. Solo la educación capacita a los ciudadanos a ejercer sus derechos y cumplir sus obligaciones en democracia. El único ser que te puede sacar de la pobreza material estará siempre frente a ti en el espejo. Las buenas intenciones mal encaminadas producen mas muertos y desatres que una guerrila. Hasta Pinochet, Stalin y Pol Pot pudieron haber tenido buenas intenciones.

Where there is no court justice , there is no social justice. A bloated state accompanies a rickety economy. Only production reduces poverty. Only education enables citizens to exercise their rights and duties in a democracy. The only one who can take one from material poverty will always be in front of you in the mirror. Good intentions on the wrong track produce more deaths and disasters than guerrillas. Even Pinochet, Stalin and Pol Pot may have had good intentions

Poverty is not the only issue on the minds of Ecuadorians who went to the polls to elect leaders to be able to solve them. The re-elected President still faces serious problems including the ongoing issue of crime. There is an Ecuadorian living in Spain who shares his experiences and calls attention to young people in Ecuador about importance of dialogue, even with the opposition. He has special advice for all on how to solve the important issue of crime. Christian Gallegos writes [es]:

…Una es que los jóvenes que ingresan al mundo laboral no tienen trabajo, y el segundo es que la manera de pensar en la juventud Ecuatoriana es muy acomplejada en un gran colectivo los típicos < < aniñados de casa de caña>>, que creen que por trabajar en construcción, barrenderos, etc., pasan a ser de otro grupo social. Aquí en España donde vivo ya hace 10 años, todo esto es diferente, la juventud trabaja en lo que sea, para así tener dinero el fin de mes y disfrutar de la vida, ahorrar y muchas cosas mas que con dinero se puede hacer, !ese tenia que ser el pensamiento de todos los jóvenes Ecuatorianos¡, y así hacer de Ecuador un país mas productivo y desarrollado.

…One (factor) is that young people entering the labor world are unemployed, and the second is that the way to think of the Ecuadorian youth is complex in a typical large group < >, who believe that if one works in construction, street sweepers, etc., one becomes a member of another social group. Here in Spain where I live for the past 10 years, all this is different, the youth work anywhere, so they can have money at the end of the month and enjoy life, save and to do more things with that money! That has to be the thinking of all the young Ecuadorians!, and that way to make Ecuador a more productive and developed country.

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