Ecuador’s Indigenous Organizations Challenge Noboa, Support Gonzalez’s Proposals
Ecuador’s CONAIE and leftist organizations will not support incumbent President Daniel Noboa in the April run-off. They are asking leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez to respond to several proposals, including halting privatizations and lowering sales tax. The Indigenous vote is divided, with some groups backing Noboa despite CONAIE’s criticisms.
In Ecuador, the prominent Indigenous organization CONAIE, along with leftist social groups, announced that they will not support the incumbent president Daniel Noboa in the upcoming April run-off. Instead, they have urged leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez to address a series of proposals. The Indigenous electorate appears to be divided, with some factions expressing support for Noboa.
Noboa, heir to a significant business fortune, narrowly defeated Gonzalez, a protégé of former President Rafael Correa, by less than one percent during the initial voting round in February. This close outcome indicates that Leonidas Iza, the CONAIE leader who garnered 5.25% of the vote, may play a crucial role in determining the election’s next phase.
CONAIE has been critical of Noboa’s strategies concerning security and economic policies, yet various Indigenous and social organizations endorse his continued presidency. They propose several measures to Gonzalez, including ceasing privatizations and large-scale mining endeavors, and re-evaluating Noboa’s hardline stance against crime gangs.
Additional demands from the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) include reverting the sales tax from 15% back to 12%, which was increased to fund security initiatives, as well as opposing Ecuador’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Conversely, CONFENIAE, an Indigenous group located in the Amazon and part of CONAIE, has expressed its intention to support Noboa but seeks a dialogue regarding policies affecting the Amazon region.
Moreover, the political party represented by former candidate Andrea Gonzalez, who finished fourth in February, has declared its support for Noboa, signifying a complexity in the political landscape that will influence the upcoming electoral process.
In summary, as the elections approach, the Indigenous organization CONAIE and leftist groups have chosen not to support President Daniel Noboa, instead advocating for Luisa Gonzalez to address their proposals. While divisions exist within the Indigenous electorate, key issues such as tax rates, privatization, and social policies will be central to the discussion as these groups navigate their influence in the electoral outcome.
Original Source: gazette.com
