Ecuador, between uncertainty and hope

After the first round of the early elections in Ecuador that took place on August 20, an atmosphere of surprise and uncertainty is perceived among the citizens, both due to the new political board and the current situation. of its own kind facing the country.

In recent years, and especially in recent months, Ecuador has been immersed in an unprecedented escalation of violence. And precisely in the weeks prior to election day, we faced various cases of crime such as the murder of the mayor of Manta, Agustín Intriago, days after the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and many other Ecuadorians who are victims of street violence.

The phenomenon of violence is multicausal and therefore there are several factors that influence its outcome in Ecuador. Organized crime has permeated many spheres and tries to subdue a country that remains standing and a civil society that does not allow itself to be subdued.

Today we wake up with a country once again divided in the political sphere but defined by common problems, which cut across all regions and all sectors. In Ecuador we dream of profound changes. In two months we will face the ballotage between the Correísmo candidate, the main political minority, and a young figure from the right, businessman Daniel Noboa.

The arrival of Correísmo continues to surprise us again despite all the corruption scandals, and even more so, the rise of Noboa in recent weeks is striking. From political science, an attempt is made to explain whether his electoral success is due to a good performance in the presidential debate a few days ago, or whether his figure as a young and perhaps fresher man -despite the fact that he was a member of the assembly and that he comes from a family of businessmen well-known politicians - may have been the key to its success. There is also a strong presence on Tik Tok, or the important budget allocated to the electoral campaign as a result of family heritage, which took him to the most remote places in the country.

But what is clear is that Ecuadorian society, as in the rest of the world, shows its weariness of the political class and traditional regimes of representation. The conduct of the electorate breaks into the unpredictable. While politics settles to the surprise of the citizenry, the productive country, the real country, does not stop. We have a lot to rebuild and little time to lay the foundations for the future we dream of.

From the productive sector, which I represent, we have gotten used to innovating in a country with incomparable natural wealth and constant volatility. One of the great priorities of the business sector is to contribute to the reduction of socioeconomic gaps through practices of labor inclusion, gender equality and sustainability for all Ecuadorians. Entrepreneurs care about security, employment and competitiveness, but also about health, education and social development.

As of October, a new political period begins, which can be inscribed as a moment of historical transition. From civil society we will push for the cohesion of democratic values ​​for a country that dreams of profound changes in the midst of uncertainty and hope.

María Paz Jervis is the president of the National Federation of Chambers of Industries of Ecuador.

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