Daniel Noboa was the winner of the presidential debate

The 2023 Presidential Debate begins.  Here we will tell you minute by minute how the meeting of the seven candidates who attended the Ecuador TV facilities unfolds: Jan Topic, Bolívar Armijos, Luisa González, Otto Sonnenholzner, Yaku Pérez, Xavier Hervas and Daniel Noboa. 

Daniel Noboa was the winner of the presidential debate.

The topics that will be covered are the following: 

1. Security and comprehensive management of the impacts of delinquency and organized crime.

2. Economic regime , job creation and productive development.

3. Social policy.

4. Democracy , institutions and citizen participation. 

5. Sustainability , risk management and environmental conservation. 

TIME 19:13

First thematic axis of Security

Jan Topic: “Implement the Zero Tolerance Plan and regain control of the country’s prisons (…) Equip law enforcement (…) The important thing is a strong hand to eradicate crime in Ecuador.” 

Bolívar Armijos: “First we have to separate the residing criminals who have put the people in anxiety. Divide people with minor and major crimes. We are going to finance with the resources generated by oil .” 

TIME 19:25

Luisa González: “We are going with a strong hand. We are going to build a new Litoral Penitentiary and we are going to remove it from the urban center.”

Otto Sonnenholzner: “That if a citizen attacks an Ecuadorian, he has to serve the sentence he represents. Limiting entry with a judicial record.” 

TIME 19:36

Daniel Noboa: “I will return to the jury system, that way, in an eligible bank of 21 citizens we will be able to give the sentence and the necessary justice, since sometimes it is left in the wrong hands.” 

Yaku Pérez: ” Permanent patrolling with the Armed Forces and the police and an outstretched hand to reach teachers, give them back their jobs, social policies. Without citizen security there is no work, there is no health.” 

TIME 19:43

Xavier Hervas “Training in the National Police is so important. We need training for Intelligence. Have new analysts.” 

TIME 19:49 

Second Thematic Axis: Economic regime, job creation and productive development

Bolívar Armijos: “We are going to strengthen agribusiness . We are going to strengthen the work of mining companies to improve agriculture, tourism.”

Daniel Noboa: “I will invest 300 million in electrical transmission . We are going to refine our oil. We will have our national diesel. Lower cargo transportation costs and technify agriculture.” 

Jan Topic: “We are going to maintain subsidies but put technological leverage. But we do not have control of the border. Exact control of how the fuel is delivered in the country.” 

Luis González: “I fight the fuel subsidy by having a Pacific Refinery, so that the productive sector can have low-cost fuel.” 

TIME 20:08

Yaku Pérez: “Guaranteeing citizen security. Recovering the institutional framework and with resources to give economic growth. USD 1000 million goes to corruption. Money is enough when it is not stolen.” 

Xavier Hervas: “I have always paid my impiusros on time. What I can offer I do not see with hatred or revenge. I do not have a million-dollar campaign.” 

TIME 20:16

Otto Sonnenholzner: ” Without security, no investment will come. Our security plan seeks to reestablish minimum conditions. For tourism and investment in infrastructure. I will implement a rural investment plan, a work will immediately stop irrigation. Rurality must resume the importance it should have”. 

TIME 20:26

Third thematic axis of Social Policy 

Otto Sonnenholzner: ” There are thousands and millions of women and children who are afraid to go home … Public prevention policies for troglodytes will be implemented, through care. Implement telematic mental health, especially in schools and universities.” 

Yaku Pérez: “Our cabinet will be equal. We are going to give it all the necessary budget to execute the law for the prevention and eradication of violence against women and girls. Additionally, we are going to guarantee that the victims’ bonus is given to the girls and children children of victims”.

Jan Tópic: ” Reduce the rate of child nutrition in half in 12 months , but Ecuadorians, nothing will be possible without security. We are going to strengthen the Police, the Armed Forces so that all this food reaches each of the millions of millions of Ecuadorians”. 

Xavier Hervas: “We have to take care of the pregnant mother, that’s why in health we are talking about primary care to combat chronic child malnutrition. Drinking water and sanitation are needed. We must look back at the field with a seed policy for markets internal and external”. 

TIME 20:41 

Bolívar Armijos: ” Delivering sufficient resources to care for the health of the Ecuadorian people, buying medicine to attend hospitals and sub-centers. There are mafias entrenched in this very government. When I am President of the Republic we are going to hire a team of 10 doctors so that they help the Minister of Health and all citizens can be served efficiently”. 

Luisa González: ” Strengthen the medical units ; rehire those doctors who were fired from the government; supply medicine to the citizens. A human being cannot die for being poor.” 

Daniel Noboa: ” Strengthen Social Security . We have to have the largest number of contributors, so we are going to have a greater number of contributors. Yes, the IESS law will be reformed to take away the power of the President of the Republic and give him more money “. 

TIME 20:56

Fourth thematic axis Democracy, institutionality and citizen participation. 

Daniel Noboa: “We are going to give strength, weight and real decentralization to the State. That each province has its way of managing its resources, that it can manage its resources. And that it can, in some way, also assist, due to its proximity, the farmers who need it so much, assist families that are abandoned today”. 

Bolívar Armijos: “It is necessary to decentralize from the Central State to the local governments, which are the decentralized autonomous governments , so that they coordinate with the different authorities. The 2008 Constitution already established that the prefectures had to disappear so that they can be appointed regional governors. 

Xavier Hervas: “If we talk about public purchases , in the Sercop, it depends on the presidency of the Republic, decision and leadership, determination to do what is needed in Ecuador. Leadership is needed, the absence of leadership is taking our country from us and it is bleeding Ecuadorian society dry”. 

Luis González: “You have to remove the distribution, take leadership with knowledge , not brainstorming. We already did it, we are going to do it again. Institutions where you go and know that you are the principal and treat you with respect” . 

Jan Topic: “The Executive has to execute and in its execution it has to respect the independence of the functions of the State, never again an Executive that meddles with the Assembly or the Judiciary. Two, an Executive that protects Ecuadorians, that protects its judges, its prosecutors, all the functions of the State. Without security we do not have democracy”. 

Yaku Pérez: “It is essential to carry out a reform of the political party system, to reform the Code of Democracy so that there is transparency and greater participation, so that fraud is not done to us again as in 2021. It is essential that political parties stop being electoral companies”.

Otto Sonnenholzner: “The only way to have decent, honest authorities at the head of the most important institutions in the country is to have truly armored processes . Armored and that the hands of politicians cannot get involved in the appointment of authorities.” 

TIME 21:26

Fifth thematic axis of Sustainability, risk management and environmental conservation

Yaku Pérez: “The country’s legislation is lukewarm. An Environmental Code is not compatible with climate collapse. What comes with El Niño is catastrophic. It is time to move from extractivism to post-extractivism.” 

Bolívar Armijos: “You have to take care of nature. We must work on preservation and prevention of landslides and natural threats. Legislative reforms must be made, but make it a State proposal to protect nature”.

Luisa González: “First, the credits through Banecuador . The budget must be returned to the Parish Councils. We are going to forgive the debts with Banecuador up to USD 10,000 and the rest will be refinanced.” 

Xavier Hervas: “We are talking about financial relief. The Public Bank is embargoed properties. We are going to immediately pay that lien and we will give a year of grace. We will waive interest. We need to support the farmer and rurality”

TIME 21:39

Daniel Noboa: “We prioritize investment in electricity generation and reduce our dependence on fuels. We must have investment in infrastructure and electricity generation. We are also going to protect green areas and water sources because El Niño is coming strong this year”.

Otto Sonnenholzner: “No extractivist activity that does not include impact zones should be supported. If projects in strategic sectors generate well-being, they are worth it. If the projects have economic sustainability, we will support them. We must go to a model with less environmental impact progressively”.

Jan Topic: “My government plan is technological. There will be a platform to control air quality. The important thing is security. The most harmful element for the environment is illegal mining. That will end in my government. Three axes. One is to retake control. After that a legal mining concession.”

Moments before the debate: 

After the assassination of the candidate Fernando Villavicencio , from the Construye movement , seven candidates participated in the debate, since  Christian Zurita , Villavicencio’s replacement, had not yet registered his candidacy for the electoral contest. It was planned to register around 5:30 p.m. this Sunday. 

The candidates arrived at the headquarters of the Presidential Debate on Ecuador TV at 5:10 p.m. Daniel Noboa arrived wearing a bulletproof vest, since he had reportedly received threats. The rest of the applicants to the Carondelet Palace arrived accompanied by relatives and advisers. 

Diana Atamaint, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) was also present . She referred to the registration of the candidacy of Christian Zurita, replacement of Fernando Villavicencio (murdered on Wednesday, August 9, 2023).

“It already happened in the previous elections. A candidate for mayor of Puerto López was assassinated and they presented their request with hours remaining in the electoral process. The same process was followed and since there was no impediment, he was qualified. The one who assumed the votes was the registered candidate,” detailed the head of the CNE. 

He also mentioned that Villavicencio’s space for debate will not be withdrawn; it will be empty because it corresponds to his political organization.