Indigenous people demands recalculation of Presidential ballots in Ecuador

Hundreds of indigenous protesters gathered outside the offices of the Ecuadorian Electoral Council in Quito, the capital, on Tuesday to demand a retelling of the presidential vote this month.

Third place Yaku Perez, an indigenous environmental activist, walked through the country to expose the manipulation of the polls' allegations.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared on Sunday that the ultimate result of the poll on February 7 showed that the right-wing candidate, Guillermo Lasso, had gained 19.74 percent support to win Perez, which received 19.39 percent. Lasso, a former banker, will face Andres Arauz, a patron of former president Rafael Correa, in a presidential run-off in April. Arauz declared victory on the first round with 32.72 percent of the vote.

Protesters arrived by bus in southern Quito on Tuesday with the flag of Pachakutik, the party of Ecuador's indigenous movement that supports Perez.

They gathered in a park and shouted slogans, including 'transparency yes, fraud no. '

"We are going to provide the National Electoral Council one last chance," Perez said during the protest. "This fraud cannot go unpunished, no one can cover it."

He later took boxes with more than 16,000 statements from the polls, which he said show inconsistencies with the CNE.

Candidates may lodge objections or dispute the outcome of the vote before the Electoral Council or the Electoral Court.

Perez wanted a retelling in 17 of Ecuador's 24 provinces, which would involve about six million ballots - about 45 percent of the registered voters in the country.

Perez is known for its opposition to mining and support for greater environmental protection.

"Yaku is a leader and worker just like us; he leads with us," Rosa Salinas, 58, told Reuters news agency during the rally in Quito.

"We want transparency; we do not want legislators to betray us," Salinas stated.

This month's vote took place between popular discontent and a financial failure exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lasso has pledged to cut taxes and create one million jobs by bringing international investment, especially in oil and mining.

Arauz has vowed to return to Correa's socialist policies and promises to donate $ 1,000 to one million Ecuadorian families who suffered during the pandemic.