New Alternative Media for Those Who Were Rejected By the CNE

Citizens that were not qualify by the Ecuadorian National Electoral Council (CNE), are promoting the Yes and the No options using social networks as the only means of communication that is not controlled by election officials. Facebook, YouTube, Blogspot, Twitter, are some of the pages on which these groups are campaigning.

Casinos and bingo workers opened a blog to ask citizens to vote No on question 7 of the referendum that seeks to eliminate gambling. This media is used for publishing video testimonial saying that more than 30,000 people will remain unemployed because of the measure. Their cases can also be seen on YouTube video channel.

The anti-bullfighting group, who also were not recognized as political actors, used these media as a platform for discussion. On Twitter account @vivantoros the first message was “Everyone for an Ecuador free of bullfights. Let’s go to the referendum.” Meanwhile the opposing campaign in favor of the No option is using the account @nomastortura.

On YouTube, the Ecuadorian Institute of Political Economy (IEEP) created the web space Liberal Tribune Online. There are 10 videos in which an interviewer discusses with two experts. Using the same website, a group of students from the Faculty of Law at Catholic University also express their stance. In videos of two minutes, two youth explain in brief the extent that, if approved, will have each question. In their Facebook account this group adds: “We wish not only to consider the legal standpoint, but also the social, economic, and the cultural factors.

Source: Expreso Newspaper