Candidates Gonzales and Noboa hold first Presidential Debate
Ecuador's presidential candidates, Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Noboa held the First Presidential Debate this Sunday, in which they discussed key issues of their government programs
Transcript
00:00 Ecuador's presidential candidates, Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Novoa, held their first presidential
00:05 debate this Sunday in which they discussed key issues of their government programs.
00:11 Our correspondent Elena Rodriguez has more.
00:15 During the two-hour debate, the candidates answered questions around four key axes, economic,
00:21 security, social and political.
00:24 In the economic field, Gonzalez highlighted her plan to manage the public finances.
00:32 To inject into the economy $2.5 billion from the reserves that are in Switzerland.
00:37 What for?
00:38 To promote development and productive credits, allow interest rates through public banks
00:44 between 5 and 7 percent, to reactivate the economy from the local level, to support and
00:50 return the budget to the local autonomous governments, also to control the tax increase
00:55 and to strengthen oil production.
00:57 Novoa, on the other hand, and contradicting the positions held through the campaign by
01:05 his three mates, Verónica Abad, spoke of strengthening health and education.
01:11 We're going to strengthen public health and education, which cannot be privatized, but
01:16 we must use the technologies.
01:18 It will indeed be complicated for a year, because of the transportation of people.
01:23 We must boost the creation of info centers and provide internet access.
01:28 In view of the imminent arrival of the El Niño, the leftist presidential candidate explained
01:34 the basis of the four-axis plan she will implement.
01:38 Four axes.
01:41 The first is to save lives.
01:43 The second is the economic.
01:45 The third is the infrastructure.
01:46 And the fourth is working together with the GADs to save lives, which means to establish
01:52 the risk zones, the shelters, the health care and education services, the safety for the
01:57 people who will be relocated, and the next, the housing plans to guarantee a permanent
02:03 home.
02:04 As for the economic, to reestablish credit lines, to renegotiate debts, to refinance
02:09 or counsel them to those who need it.
02:13 Oboa attacked González by asking her position regarding the reward of the up to $5 million
02:21 offered by the U.S. government in exchange for information leading to the arrest of those
02:27 whose assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villasencio.
02:31 Here's what the contender says.
02:38 I agree with all the necessary actions to find those responsible for the assassination
02:43 of Mr. Fernando Villasencio.
02:45 We were the first to express our solidarity with his family and to say that as soon as
02:50 we start our term in office, we will establish a commission to investigate this crime, but
02:55 we will also create a new reward system for the most wanted at the national level.
03:07 Another issue addressed was the problem of illegal mining.
03:11 At the beginning of the year, Ecuador declared it a threat to national security.
03:16 Both candidates expressed their position.
03:21 Number one, zero tolerance to illegal mining.
03:24 Number two, judicial cooperation between countries so that the illegal miners do not become nomads
03:29 as it happens today.
03:33 The presidential debate was held as a part of the candidates' legal obligations under
03:39 the Ecuadorian Code of Democracy.
03:42 In 15 days, the 13.4 million electable votes will go to the polls to elect their new president.