Ecuador in Key Vote for Latin American Left

W460

Ecuador voted Sunday in general elections that could see a pillar of the Latin American left swing to the right at an economic turning point for the oil-rich nation.

The vote puts in question the legacy of outgoing leftist President Rafael Correa, who is marking the end of 10 years and three terms in power. The  outspoken critic of the United States is not running for re-election.

It could also alter the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The two leading conservative candidates have said that if they win, they will evict him from Ecuador's London embassy where he has taken refuge for fear of extradition to the United States.

- Continuity or change -

Economist Correa, 53, initially oversaw a boom in the oil-rich country of 16 million.

Now, "what is at stake are two visions of society, two visions of development, two visions of the state," he said of Sunday's election.

Voters must decide whether to continue his Socialist agenda by electing his ally Lenin Moreno, or to follow Argentina, Brazil and Peru in switching to a conservative government.

Moreno, who leads in opinion polls, promises to continue Correa's tax-and-spend social policies.

"The Ecuadoran people have affection (for us) and are determined to continue with this process," the 63-year-old told AFP.

- Trump -

But in an uncertain contest, Moreno faces a challenge from conservative ex-banker Guillermo Lasso, 61, second in the opinion polls.

He has vowed to cut spending and taxes, lure foreign investment and create a million jobs.

He has also slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to a corruption scandal.

"We have to vote for change to fight against corruption," Lasso said at a campaign rally on Wednesday.

The third-placed candidate is conservative former lawmaker Cynthia Viteri, 51.

Correa says Latin America needs a strong leftist movement to resist U.S. President Donald Trump's hard line on immigration and trade.

But Lasso and Viteri have shown more willingness to work with Washington since Trump's election victory in November.

- Boom, bust -

Franco Sandoval, a student in Quito, said he will vote "for a change."

"The ones who are in power have been there for a long time. They have done their job," he told AFP. "But at some point they go off the rails."

Ecuador exports half a million barrels of oil a day. Correa used the wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

He called it "21st-century socialism."

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years, with Ecuador's economy shrinking by 1.7 percent last year.

Correa is accused of failing to save any petrodollars for a rainy day, and of hampering businesses with high taxes and duties.

"Whoever becomes president will have to dig the grave of '21st century socialism,'" Alberto Acosta-Burneo, an economist at the Spurrier Group consultancy, told AFP.

"It is no longer viable in the current economic situation."

- Close contest -

Opinion polls indicate Moreno will likely win Sunday's first-round vote.

But his lead may not be big enough to avoid a runoff on April 2 against a conservative rival, most likely Lasso.

Analysts say voters fed up with Correa may then rally behind whichever conservative candidate gets through.

Polls show a high ratio of undecided voters.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to and rejection of the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

But Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington cautioned: "It is a mistake to underestimate the strength of support for Correa's side."

Polling stations opened at 1200 GMT and were due to close at 2200 GMT.

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