Ecuador: Heading to the Polls Yet Again  · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

In less than a month, approximately 10.5 million Ecuadorians will head to the polls yet again. After approval of the new Constitution last September, elections to select the president, members of the legislature and other local authorities are scheduled for April 26. The current president, Rafael Correa, has announced his intention to run, where he is favored to win.
All of his opponents are yet to be defined, but some bloggers such as Varth Deider [es] are already predicting the field and the predicted order, whereas Correa will finish first, followed by others who have ran in the past, such as Lucio Gutiérrez and Álvaro Noboa.  According to more formal polling, Correa also is leading the way, but journalist Romulo Lopez of Cambiemos Ecuador [es] doesn't believe in the polls and that “all surveys are subjective, false and speculative.“
The three front runners according to the polls. Picture used under permision by http://www.pupodelmundo.com
Regardless of the true measure of Correa's support, other bloggers have not reached consensus on their presidential preferences.
The blogger of Cronica Cero [es] also works for the newspaper El Telégrafo and on this occasion he republishes an interview that he did in which President Correa gives his own government high marks.
Campaign ads against Correa are already being aired and websites like the one that says, “We Are Afraid [es]“, something that Andrés Rodríguez of Modestamente Humano [es] thinks is money wasted:
Hasta ahora no escucho ninguna propuesta. Ningún ofrecimiento claro. Ningún plan. La mayoría de propagandas que pasan en especial las radiales son solo un ataque a Correa. Que si la guerrilla, que si la narcopolítica (qué término más burdo), que si esto, que si el otro.
Todos ataques a Correa.
So far I've heard no proposals. No clear offer. No plan. The majority of advertising broadcasted, in particular the radio networks, are only attacks against Correa. What about the guerrillas, what if narcopolítics (a very blunt term), if that, if the other .
All attacks against Correa.
However, there are bloggers like La Plena Compadre [es] who criticizes the president and sarcastically summarizes what he has learned so far in the two years since Correa took office:
* Si nunca has ganado una elección, no puedes siquiera mirarlo directamente a los ojos, peor criticarlo. Ya que él solito ha ganado CINCO. Sin contar las de mejor sonrisa, mejor scout, presidente de curso, rey mago más guapo y princesita de navidad.
* Si lo criticas, seguramente debes estar apoyando a Lucio, Alvarito, o cualquiera otro de “los mismos de siempre”. Además seguramente has vivido de la teta de la partidocracia.
* Las FARC no son terroristas, sino un grupo irregular, pero cuando dejen de cometer “actos terroristas” (así es, se contradijo), él podrá empezar a calificarlas como beligerantes. Además quien dijo que eran terroristas fue el Uribe, y como acá en Ecuador no manda Uribe sino él, hay que llevarle la contraria.
* Toda la prensa no gubernamental es corrupta y mediocre, por lo que la gente debe dejar de leer lo que publican o escuchar lo que dicen, y solo debe informarse por los medios del gobierno y la página web de la presidencia.
* Con Colombia no va a conversar hasta que en ese País haya un gobierno decente de izquierda, cuyo presidente sea también miembro del club de los perpetuos (con Chavez, Evo, Ortega, etc.)
* If you've never won an election, then you can't look him directly in the eyes, much less criticize him. He alone has won FIVE. Without counting, best smile, best scout, class president, most handsome wise man and Christmas princess.
* If you criticize him, you must be supporting Lucio (Gutiérrez, Alvarito (Noboa) or another of the “same old”. In addition, you must have lived in the middle of party politics.
* The FARC are not terrorists, rather an irregular group, but when they stop committing “terrorist acts” (that's right, he contradicted himself), he can start to call them belligerent.  Also, the one that said they were terrorists was (Colombian president Alvaro) Uribe, and since here in Ecuador, Uribe is not in charge, rather Correa is in charge, then one must say the contrary.
* All of the non-governmental press is corrupt and mediocre, and that the people should stop reading what they publish or listen to what they say, and they should only inform themselves via the government media and the website of the President.
* There will be no conversation with Colombia until there is a decent left-wing government, whose president is also a member of perpetual club (with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, Bolivian president Evo Morales, and Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, etc.)
Some bloggers are basing their decisions on the actions of the current government. Cambiemos Ecuador[es] believes that President Correa is throwing away money on “social spending”
Este gobierno se ha caracterizado por tirar el dinero, el gobierno lo llamo gasto social: nuevos aviones para las FFAA, nuevo avion presidencial, Chef Belga, carros nuevos (de 70 mil dolares ) para todos lo ministerios, congreso, corte, etc.  Por alli algo de dinero llego a las carreteras y a una que otra escuela.
Still some others like Mi Diario Relativo [es] tries to find a balance of everything he sees and hears on the media. He makes a list of the reasons why people should vote by Correa:
Como soy democrático, y no como algunitos que escriben pura negatividad, sapos y culebras por doquier, ahora va el opuesto al post que escribí hace algún tiempo, se debe expresar los pros y los contras, y no polarizarse en una sola idea como los pelucones derechistas que se cagan de miedo por que van a perder sus privilegios mal habidos.