Question 8 Was Approved in Quito with 56%

The referendum called by President Rafael Correa to reform justice and regulate the press, was approved by Ecuadorians according to an exit poll survey authorized by the electoral court. 

Correa claimed victory and said it was “an act of confidence” in his government. “What happened today marks a step in peace and democracy for the new nation. Truth is the Ecuadorians are the real winners,” he said.

According to the private firm Santiago Pérez, three out of five voters supported the initiative, with percentages ranging between 61% and 64%.

The question eight, which proposed the ban on “shows which are designed to kill an animal” such as bullfighting, was voted by jurisdictions. However, it was adopted in Quito (56%), the main plaza where bullfighting takes place every year in a fair considered the best one in America.

During his government, which ends in 2013 with the possibility of re-election until 2017, Correa has strengthened labor law and raised the basic wage by 55% (to $ 264), reduced the profits of oil companies and renegotiated part of the external debt. He also promotes free health care; which is why the popular sectors of Ecuador, with 14.3 million inhabitants, support him.

Source: AP