The observer mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) highlighted this Sunday the “tranquility” with which the vote in the referendum in Ecuador has taken place, where climate problems have caused inconveniences in the interior of the country.
The Chilean Patricio Santamaría, head of the OAS mission, made up of fifteen people of seven nationalities, stated that the day has been “quite calm.”
«We have been following the election and, in general, we have seen that there are some problems, climate, flooding. The rain, which is so necessary on the one hand, has generated complications for some voters,” he said.
In a press conference held at noon in one of the largest electoral precincts in Quito, Santamaría called on the population to go to the polls.
“Today they are doing an exercise in democracy, where each vote is worth exactly the same,” he stressed.
He revealed that certain voters have told them that they were informed about the eleven questions of the electoral process, while others complained about the number of questions and the little dissemination of the annexes of each one.
Santamaría stressed that there have been no reports of problems other than climatic problems during the day, in which, among other situations, there was a flood in the Andean city of Alausí, which left one injured, 28 families affected, the same number of homes affected and five destroyed.
A little over a year ago, a gigantic avalanche occurred in Alausí in which 75 people died.
The head of the OAS mission told EFE that they hope the day remains calm, “that there are no events that tarnish a democratic exercise like this, which is very, very relevant.”
Santamaría, who stressed the importance of “direct democracy,” commented that next Tuesday they will deliver a report on this Sunday’s day, when some 13 million Ecuadorians are called to the polls to answer eleven questions related to security, justice, investments and employment.
At the San Gabriel school in Quito, the OAS delegates spoke with members of the vote receiving boards, several of whom highlighted the punctuality in the installation of the polling stations and the normality of the voting process.
At the electoral precinct, EFE verified an agile development of the voting with few lines of citizens and moderate military control inside the school, and police protection outside, especially to help traffic flow.
Outside that electoral precinct and another nearby, food sales on the streets set the tone, but in significantly fewer numbers than in previous electoral processes.
Ecuador, which is in a state of emergency in the electricity sector, is also experiencing an “internal armed conflict”, declared by the head of state, Daniel Noboa, since last January against criminal gangs whom he calls “terrorists.” EFE
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