Luisa González, presidential candidate for the Citizen Revolution Movement, speaks during a political event last October in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Photo: Mauricio Torres/EFE/File photo.
Exactly one month before Ecuador’s presidential runoff election, Luisa González, the Citizen Revolution candidate—and a Montuvia (a peasant from Ecuador’s Coastal region) woman—has publicly thanked the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE)—a grassroots indigenous rights platform, and one of the strongest in South America—and all social organizations that have endorsed her for their support. She expressed this during the recent Plurinational Popular Assembly, which has taken place based on the urgency Ecuador demands.
In a statement posted via social media this Thursday, March 13, the current leader of the CorreĂsta movement also declared that she fully accepts the responsibility to build a step-by-step agenda for a brighter future in Ecuador.
“CONAIE is taking a historic step by firmly committing to a project that prioritizes human dignity,” wrote González, “rooted in social justice and respect for the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution and laws.”
El camino de la UNIDAD es el que recorreremos juntos por la vida de nuestra nación. 🇪🇨🤝
Como mujer y como montuvia, agradezco profundamente el apoyo expresado por la CONAIE y todas las organizaciones y colectivos sociales que representan la plurinacionalidad y la… https://t.co/KCSiOET05y
— Luisa González (@LuisaGonzalezEc) March 13, 2025
Emphasizing unity as the only path forward, the presidential candidate added that alliances will broaden to include all sectors of Ecuadorian society, emphasizing the need to “move forward together, leaving no one behind.”
González also highlighted that the common ground between Citizen Revolution’s platform and the proposals made by CONAIE outweighs their differences. “Days of fear will soon give way to hope,” she said, “polarization and hatred to unity, and lies to truth.”
The leftist Citizen Revolution candidate reiterated her commitment to ending neglect across Ecuador’s territories, prioritizing collective well-being and the peace its people need and deserve. González framed this alliance as another step in the broader struggle for life and dignity in Ecuador.
Resoluciones Asamblea Popular Plurinacional
Parte 1– No a una nueva Constituyente, defenderemos los derechos consagrados
– Defensa del IESS y vamos a confrontar a las propuestas contra los afiliados. Respeto a los derechos laborales. Defensa de la clase trabajadora
– Defensa de… pic.twitter.com/yranFbwnMa— Wambra Medio Comunitarioá… (@wambraEc) March 12, 2025
Demands for Unity
On March 12, CONAIE publicly outlined its core demands (under the Unity of the Left banner) for Luisa González ahead of the 2025 elections. Published by the leader the Ecuadorian indigenous movement, Leónidas Iza, the list emphasizes:
- Supporting all political organizations’ decisions
- Defending the unity of peoples
- Rejecting a new constituent assembly that empower the right
The document, framed as a critical tool to counter Daniel Noboa’s neoliberal fascist project, also:
- Opposes large-scale, open-pit, and illegal mining
- Demands respect for popular consultations in Azuay, YasunĂ, and the Andean ChocĂł
- Rejects privatization of the Sacha oil field
Additionally, CONAIE and allied groups call for:
- Public policies to eradicate all forms of violence
- Respect for secular governance
- An end to the massacre of youth in racialized, impoverished neighborhoods
- Demilitarization of territories
Ecuador: Presidential Candidate Luisa González Voices Support for CONAIE Leader Leónidas Iza
Constituent assembly
Many leftist analysts in Ecuador have claimed in recent years that a new constituent assembly might be the only legal tool available to untangle the systemic violation of legal and constitutional norms implemented since the moment Rafael Correa transferred power to his successor Lenin Moreno, a so-called leftist that ended up betraying the principles of the Citizen Revolution Movement and aligning with US imperialism.
In the case of a most probable victory of the left in Ecuador, the new constituent assembly debate will take the main stage, according to leftist analysts. Meanwhile, the same analysts worry about the increasing possibilities of antagonistic maneuvers that would aim at criminalizing or smearing Luisa González in a desperate attempt to crash her chance of victory, through some kind of international scenario where US imperialism wouldn’t allow the easy loss of one of its few regional bastions.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
