Protests began in Ecuador on Sunday night, April 2, after voting in the country’s elections. An exit poll showed Guillermo Lasso in the lead, but state media later declared Lenin Moreno as the winner. This angered Lasso supporters around the country.
The centre-right Creating Opportunities candidate Lasso took on Moreno of the socialist PAIS Alliance party in the closely contested election. When it appeared that Moreno had the upper hand, Lasso asked his followers via Twitter to take to the streets in protest. Many gathered at the headquarters of the electoral council in Guayaquil, his hometown.
Late into the night, Moreno was declared the winner by state media. He also declared himself the winner via a tweet. However, many on the opposing side, including Lasso himself, disputed the result, citing voting inconsistencies.
The winner of Ecuador’s elections will have to tackle not only the country’s debt crisis, but may also be responsible for determining the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been confined to Ecuador’s embassy in London since 2012. Lasso, a conservative, had said that if he won, he would evict Assange within 30 days of taking office.
