Ecuador’s presidential election is headed to a runoff, after former lawmaker Luisa González and the political outsider Daniel Noboa received the highest percentage of ballots on Sunday. The special election was heavily guarded by law enforcement, in part due to the assassination of a presidential candidate this month. According to The New York Times, the two will compete in a runoff election on October 15th.
Ecuadorians at the ballot box Sunday also voted to ban oil drilling in the Yasuní National Park, situated in the Amazon rainforest. It’s one of the most biodiverse places in the world.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on Ecuador’s elections and its ballot measures related to the Amazon Rainforest, in addition to the region’s larger efforts to protect the jungle. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialists Shannon Mitchell at [email protected] or Cate Douglass at [email protected].
Cynthia McClintock is a professor of political science and international affairs in Latin American politics. Her expertise includes Latin America politics and U.S. policy towards Latin America. Some of her research and teaching focuses include electoral rules and comparative politics in Latin America. She can discuss Ecuador’s election and the upcoming runoff election as well as regional efforts to preserve the Amazon rainforest.
Diego Abente Brun is a professor of practice of international affairs as well as Director of the M.A. Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program. His expertise is in international relations of Latin America, governance and comparative democratization. Professor Abente Brun served as an OAS Resident Representative in Ecuador for three years and is able to speak to the geopolitics of the election and run-off election.
-GW-
