The shape of Ecuador’s snap presidential election on 20 August has grown a little clearer after two of the candidates with the greatest name recognition dropped out of the running. President Guillermo Lasso’s decision not to seek re-election was not a huge surprise given his lacklustre approval ratings. More notable was the decision by Leonidas Iza not to represent the indigenous party Pachakutik (PK), which came a close third in the 2021 election. Iza, the president of the umbrella indigenous organisation Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie), had said that he would accept PK’s nomination only if he were permitted to restructure the party to his liking. PK must now decide whether to nominate another candidate or throw its weight behind Yaku Pérez, the party’s 2021 candidate who is this time representing a coalition of small left-wing parties.End of preview - This article contains approximately 664 words.
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