Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Here in Ecuador's capital, all hands are on deck for the first round of presidential elections,
00:05with military personnel overseeing the distribution of electoral material.
00:10Security is one of the top issues for Ecuadorian voters due to the country's location and its
00:15surging violence that's caused it to now be regarded as one of the most dangerous nations
00:18in the region.
00:20It's important to highlight the work of the armed forces in ensuring the security of the
00:24chain of custody. It's crucial to understand that, starting today, the armed forces take
00:29control of the electoral package and transport them to the polling stations under strict
00:33custody.
00:36The election's sea incumbent president, Daniel Naboa, go head to head with his left-wing
00:40challenger from the last vote, Luisa Gonzalez.
00:44US-born Naboa has presided over a period of crises in his term, declaring several states
00:49of emergency and deploying military troops to tackle the soaring gang activity and drug
00:53trafficking.
00:54He's taken a hard-line policy of tackling criminal gangs and corruption head on, and
00:59promised to bring back prosperity.
01:01Amidst a dozen other candidates, his main rival, Gonzalez, has also pledged to viciously
01:06tackle the drug trade, revive the slumping economy and increase alternative energy amidst
01:11widespread blackouts.
01:13Security is also tight at the border with Peru, where drug gang-related violence had
01:17previously triggered a state of emergency.
01:20The border closure has been enforced. This is an exceptional measure under the framework
01:25of this decree, which mainly temporarily restricts the entry of foreign citizens into the country
01:31to protect security, constituted order and democracy during this electoral process.
01:38Almost 14 million Ecuadorians are obliged to vote in the elections. According to Human
01:43Rights Watch, the country's murder rate has increased over 400 percent in the last five
01:47years.