Ecuador's presidential candidates, Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Noboa held the First Presidential Debate this Sunday, in which they discussed key issues of their government programs
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00:00 Ecuador's presidential candidates, Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Novoa, held their first presidential
00:05 debate this Sunday in which they discussed key issues of their government programs.
00:11 Our correspondent Elena Rodriguez has more.
00:15 During the two-hour debate, the candidates answered questions around four key axes, economic,
00:21 security, social and political.
00:24 In the economic field, Gonzalez highlighted her plan to manage the public finances.
00:32 To inject into the economy $2.5 billion from the reserves that are in Switzerland.
00:37 What for?
00:38 To promote development and productive credits, allow interest rates through public banks
00:44 between 5 and 7 percent, to reactivate the economy from the local level, to support and
00:50 return the budget to the local autonomous governments, also to control the tax increase
00:55 and to strengthen oil production.
00:57 Novoa, on the other hand, and contradicting the positions held through the campaign by
01:05 his three mates, Verónica Abad, spoke of strengthening health and education.
01:11 We're going to strengthen public health and education, which cannot be privatized, but
01:16 we must use the technologies.
01:18 It will indeed be complicated for a year, because of the transportation of people.
01:23 We must boost the creation of info centers and provide internet access.
01:28 In view of the imminent arrival of the El Niño, the leftist presidential candidate explained
01:34 the basis of the four-axis plan she will implement.
01:38 Four axes.
01:41 The first is to save lives.
01:43 The second is the economic.
01:45 The third is the infrastructure.
01:46 And the fourth is working together with the GADs to save lives, which means to establish
01:52 the risk zones, the shelters, the health care and education services, the safety for the
01:57 people who will be relocated, and the next, the housing plans to guarantee a permanent
02:03 home.
02:04 As for the economic, to reestablish credit lines, to renegotiate debts, to refinance
02:09 or counsel them to those who need it.
02:13 Oboa attacked González by asking her position regarding the reward of the up to $5 million
02:21 offered by the U.S. government in exchange for information leading to the arrest of those
02:27 whose assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villasencio.
02:31 Here's what the contender says.
02:38 I agree with all the necessary actions to find those responsible for the assassination
02:43 of Mr. Fernando Villasencio.
02:45 We were the first to express our solidarity with his family and to say that as soon as
02:50 we start our term in office, we will establish a commission to investigate this crime, but
02:55 we will also create a new reward system for the most wanted at the national level.
03:07 Another issue addressed was the problem of illegal mining.
03:11 At the beginning of the year, Ecuador declared it a threat to national security.
03:16 Both candidates expressed their position.
03:21 Number one, zero tolerance to illegal mining.
03:24 Number two, judicial cooperation between countries so that the illegal miners do not become nomads
03:29 as it happens today.
03:33 The presidential debate was held as a part of the candidates' legal obligations under
03:39 the Ecuadorian Code of Democracy.
03:42 In 15 days, the 13.4 million electable votes will go to the polls to elect their new president.