Carondelet Palace, home and office of the president of Ecuador. The next presidential and legislative elections in Ecuador are set for February 7, 2021. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Taty2007 (CC BY 3.0)

Ecuador holds a presidential runoff on April 11, 2021. Left-wing economist Andrés Arauz, a protege of former president Rafael Correa (himself barred from running after being convicted of corruption) will face conservative Guillermo Lasso, who edged out indigenous activist Yaku Pérez for a spot in the runoff.

Political Context

Meghan Rowley and Alejandro Rengel of the International Republican Institute note: “Ecuador only recently broke its decade-long trend of populism in 2017, when current President Lenin Moreno broke from predecessor Rafael Correa’s ten-year administration of censorship, misinformation and executive control. As the first national elections since Moreno came to power, the outcome of the 2021 elections will determine whether Ecuador continues its path to democratic recovery.”

Curated News and Analysis

Al Jazeera (February 23, 2021): Indigenous protesters in Ecuador demand presidential vote recount

AFP (February 21, 2021): Socialist frontrunner to face conservative ex-banker in Ecuador runoff

Meghan Rowley and Alejandro Rengel, International Republican Institute’s Democracy Speaks (October 8, 2020): What’s at Stake in Ecuador’s 2021 Elections?

The Economist (July 2, 2020): Ecuador is in intensive care, and a straitjacket