Voting is underway in Ecuador to elect a new president as the country has recently been engulfed by unprecedented violence, which led to the assassination of one of the presidential candidates earlier this month.
Among the leading candidates in Sunday’s election is an ally of former President Rafael Correa, who has fled the country, as well as a millionaire with a background in security who has promised to be tough on crime.
The authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and soldiers to protect the process and avoid the possibility of violence. Representatives of the National Electoral Council said that the elections will send “a strong democratic message, unity and hope”.
Voting in Ecuador is compulsory for the majority of the voting population, but participation can be affected by people’s fear of voting.
