In Cochapamba, Ecuador, an Indigenous community is skeptical about the two candidates for the presidency, Daniel Noboa and Luisa González, neither of whom campaigned locally. As the April 13 elections approach, locals express disappointment and distrust towards both candidates. Resident Fernando Perdomo questions Noboa’s integrity while González is viewed with skepticism due to her ties to former President Rafael Correa. The community is awaiting guidance from their Indigenous leadership on which candidate to support.
In the Indigenous community of Cochapamba, located in Ecuador’s highlands, residents find themselves weighing their options between two presidential candidates they do not trust. Neither candidate—President Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González—has campaigned in this remote region, yet their decisions will significantly impact the upcoming elections on April 13, which will determine the country’s leadership for a full four-year term.
Cochapamba, with a population of around 6,000, is renowned for its white onion cultivation. The town is predominantly Indigenous, with residents communicating in Kichwa and Spanish. These citizens showed their civic engagement last Sunday by traveling for hours to vote in local polling stations.
The preliminary vote count indicated that in Cotopaxi province, where Cochapamba resides, President Noboa received 37.6% of the votes, while Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza garnered 29.3%, with González trailing at 27.7%. In their previous encounter during the 2023 elections, the majority of Cochapamba voters favored Noboa, despite never having met him personally.
Local resident Fernando Perdomo expressed his disappointment, stating, “We thought (Noboa) was a young man who was really going to make a difference, but up to this point, at least for me, he has lied.” This sentiment of distrust extends to González, perceived by many as a political legacy of former President Rafael Correa, who many Indigenous members felt dismissed their needs during his tenure.
As the community deliberates on their preferred candidate, they await directives from the confederation of Indigenous peoples. The general atmosphere in Cochapamba is one of skepticism and unmet expectations regarding political promises. Gloria Llugsha, a mother of two, captured this sentiment by saying, “I’d be deeply disappointed if all the candidates’ promises were forgotten,” highlighting her view that political leaders often forget the populace once elections conclude.
In summary, the Indigenous community of Cochapamba faces crucial decisions in the upcoming Ecuadorian presidential elections. With a lack of trust in both candidates—Daniel Noboa and Luisa González—the local population’s sentiments reflect their disappointment in past political assurances. Residents continue to wait for guidance from their Indigenous leadership regarding their electoral choices, as they grapple with unmet expectations from political figures.
Original Source: www.local10.com
