Ecuador's Lasso Raises Eyebrows with Campaign Brand Milk, Bread

Less than a week ahead of the second round of presidential elections in Ecuador, conservative candidate Guillermo Lasso's campaign continues to raise eyebrows after giving out free Lasso-branded basic food products to voters in a move that some have likened to vote-buying.

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After images of milk and bread with Lasso's image and campaign slogans circulated on social media, the governing Alianza Pais party — whose candidate Lenin Moreno led the presidential race in recent polls — has announced that that it will file a complaint with the National Electoral Council, known as CNE, slamming the action as "immoral and illegal campaign(ing)."

"We reject such practices," said Alianza Pais in a statement. "They undermine the values of democracy, participation and respect for people."

According to article 204 of the Code of Democracy, "candidates and political organizations can not give donations or gifts to citizens."

"We demand the CNE prohibits this type of practices and activate the respective control, as mandated by the Code of Democracy," the party said in a statement.

In one event, Lasso campaigners gave the branded bread and milk to citizens in the Carapungo area in the north of the capital city of Quito. According to witnesses, people were told by supporters of Lasso's Creo party to vote for the banker-turned-politician, claiming that there will be fraud in the April 2 vote.

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In recent days, several people posted photos on Facebook and Twitter of the products given out during Lasso rallies. The packages of the bread and milk have Lasso's name printed on the front.

One of the photos shows a truck, emblazened with Creo signs and campaign slogan, that the party allegedly used to transport the goods to different parts of the city.

President Rafael Correa's Alianza Pais called the move "a dirty game of demagogic supply" and demanded respect for the population. Neither Lasso or his political party have issued a statement about the products.

"It's an insult, a rudeness and an unnamed offense for all Ecuadoreans," argued an opinion article in local newspaper El Telegrafo. "People have dignity and even if they take those products at the time of voting they will do so regardless of whether they tried to buy them."