Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/americas/ecuador-peru-election-early-results-analysis-intl-latam/index.html
Peru and Ecuador both held presidential elections this past weekend. The pandemic has reached its one-year mark, and its influences are starting to become evident through the political choices of different countries. Voter turnout numbers make it clear that extenuating circumstances created by the pandemic negatively affected low-income workers.
In Ecuador, voters opted for a far-right multimillionaire, a stark difference against the outgoing liberal president. This will be the first conservative president elected by Ecuador in 14 years. In Peru, the results are currently inconclusive. However, the candidate pool has been narrowed down to pro-union and Marxist theorist Pedro Castillo and security-oriented Keiko Fujimori. There will be a second race in June to select the final winner. This is slightly complicated by the fact that the father of Fujimori is being investigated for fraud.
Overall, though, this election cycle has been defined by extreme candidate choices. In both countries, far-left and far-right candidates were pitted against each other, with little option for moderates. This is unencouraging for those hoping that unity will prevail in the region. In fact, all across South-America, political parties are becoming more and more divisive. Especially in Colombia and Brazil, where elections are upcoming, the goal of unity seems less and less obtainable as people are forced to choose between two polarized political sides.
It is possible that this is an effect of economic and cultural stress created by the looming pandemic. As economies worldwide struggle, people are faced more frequently with economic stress and distrust.
The election in Ecuador also creates concern for the leftist movement of South America as a whole. Some are afraid that Lasso’s victory might be the beginning of a South American cultural shift away towards conservatism. As for short-term implementation of policy, though, Lasso’s party does not hold the majority in the Ecuadorian congress, and there is no distinct majority in the Peruvian congress, so it is unsure how much new legislation will be passed.