Ecuador Needs the Citizen Revolution: Luisa Gonzalez

During an exclusive interview with teleSUR on Thursday, presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez asserted that Ecuador needs a government led by the Citizen Revolution to regain the path of development.

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"Ecuador is so devastated that it needs the Citizen Revolution. We managed to recover our homeland in 2007 when we assumed the Presidency. There was a country without hope and devastated, a country where citizens migrated because they couldn't find opportunities. We will once again move the country forward and provide healthcare, medicine, education, scholarships, and security," she said.

Gonzalez emphasized that she also represents many Ecuadorian women who aspire to break discrimination by demonstrating capability, knowledge, and education.

"I take on the political challenge on behalf of them. We will prove that women have the ability to manage not only their homes but also their homeland. On August 20, Luisa Gonzalez will be the President of the Republic," the Citizen Revolution candidate stressed.

The tweet reads, "The time has come to defeat hatred and bury fear. We have nothing to lose, only our chains. Together with Luisa Gonzalez and Andres Arauz, we will turn outrage into political change."

Regarding outgoing President Guillermo Lasso, Gonzalez recalled that he will go down in history as a "villainous stubborn man" who became obsessed with reaching the presidency at the expense of destroying an entire country.

To illustrate the current situation of her country, she noted that the homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants increased from 5 to 34 in the last seven years, a period during which bankers controlled the State.

"Previously, Ecuador competed with Chile for the top spot in the ranking of the safest countries in the region. Now, Ecuador surpasses Haiti in insecurity. It's distressing, painful, and sad to see how Guillermo Lasso left the country."

Given that insecurity is severely affecting the lives of Ecuadorians, Gonzalez emphasized that the next government "will not have time to improvise." Therefore, the Citizen Revolution is the best political alternative as it has a team with experience in public management.

Resolving the economic crisis will be another immediate challenge as unemployment, poverty, and inequality have deepened since 2017. To tackle this task, Gonzalez announced that former President Rafael Correa will be part of her team of economic advisors.

"My main advisor will be Rafael Correa. Tell me if there is anyone who knows the country's economy better, someone who has demonstrated better what to do and how to do it. He achieved beneficial results for our country, including lifting 2 million people out of poverty."

Speaking about the call for early elections, Gonzalez said that Lasso's decision was unconstitutional but "it was the best thing that happened to the country because the sooner Ecuador returns to the path of development and rights, the sooner we will have better living conditions."

The tweet reads, "Citizen Revolution candidate Luisa Gonzalez: 'As of August 20, I will be the president of Ecuador but I will not govern alone. We are a team… And my main adviser will be Rafael Correa.'"

The August elections "give us the opportunity for an absent president, who has not governed for his people, to leave. It is the opportunity for the Citizen Revolution to return. We know how to steer the course of Ecuador."

With regard to the upcoming electoral process, mainstream media has already started a campaign to discredit the Citizen Revolution's candidates.

When discussing the role of politically biased journalism, Gonzalez said that "the press misinforms and fails to inform. The press doesn't treat information as a citizen's right. They construct a narrative that has only affected countries with progressive governments and has led to the overthrow of presidents, as happened with Manuel Zelaya in Honduras."

"Ecuador needs a serious press that reports accurately, and it also needs citizens to be aware of what is being done to improve their living conditions. I believe that will change in Ecuador." she added.

"The citizens have had a historic opportunity, albeit unfortunate and harsh, to compare, on one hand, how things were before with Rafael Correa's progressive administration, and on the other hand, how things have been afterwards with a right-wing, neoliberal government like Guillermo Lasso's. He simply governed for his group, and certain media outlets continue to protect him. He has only devastated the country."

Finally, Gonzalez expressed support for convening a Constituent Assembly due to the destruction of the rule of law caused by conservative elites.

"The purpose of a Constituent Assembly is to rebuild the institutions so that citizens can feel safe when they turn to the justice system. The Assembly will restore the rights we have lost as a result of the dismantling of the State, which has only served to worsen our living conditions."