Here in new york city because the ecuadoran community here in new york vote is that right. Yes that glorious can vote abroad and then they can also elect representatives to our national parliament. That was one of the innovations of two thousand and eight constitution among many others Such just including rights for nature and the concept of a good living. So talk about the problems. Ecuador faces why you ran what it means to be as you. Call yourself a heterodox. Economists during the presidential front runner. We'll talk about who you might face in the runoff but the dramatic crises. That ecuador is facing right now from the economy to the pandemic. Well we're facing a double crisis right now. Basically one of the pandemic where the government was absolutely negligent regarding its management. We have the highest toll after in the world. This is a very serious case. Our numbers do not match their career. efforts at Fighting the pandemic have been no there have only been around four thousand vaccines that have been delivered for a population of seventeen million plus and Basically the public health system has been under the strain of steady. There have been over six thousand Public servants in the health system. Haven't been fired. During the pandemic. because of stringent austerity policies that have had a huge impact on that quarter population increasing poverty and inequality. So we have to face these two crisis in montana. Asli and we're proposing an aggressive investment plan including emergency aid similar to the paychecks that have been delivered here in the us two of the most vulnerable ecuadorian in population. But also we intend to have an aggressive program to have the vaccine available for most of ecuador's population As a public service in the short term this is very important for us to overcome these two crisis in the very short term. because we're now facing What we call the lack of trust within ecuadorian society. And we need to fix that as soon as possible otherwise this might become even humanitarian crisis. You been described as as picked to be the next president of ecuador. Can you explain what you agree with korea in his decade Presidency you served of course in his administration what you agree with and what you disagree with. Well we have had a huge advances. In terms of investment and infrastructure higher quality education public health system has been crucial to fight the pandemic. we created a and rebuilt fifteen two hospitals around the country. If those hadn't been available the death toll would would have been even higher. So i think most of the korean population agreed that the investment in the social sector infrastructure in the productive sector of the economy was very important to promote ecuador's development and to get closer to our paradigm of win beer of good living however There are many issues where we differ for example. Rafael correa was much more active in terms of establishing differences with the political opponents with confrontation with the media. For example we think that freedom of expression human rights and as a human rights There are a human rights legislation. That should be enough to cover for example issues with the media and freedom of expression. Also i think now. We need a renewal in our politics aware trying to promote new generation of politicians and new and fresh ideas that have to do with creativity innovation the role of the digital economy. Where we think we have huge opportunities for the ecuadorian relation. Once we go through these parallel his that have been hitting our economy and our population. very hard. how do you plan on renegotiating the debt. You said that you would Cancel the imf debt. Massive protests took place last year against the merano government for their authority measures yes We had an uprising in october. Twenty nineteen after the government of modano basically on one stroke increased over two hundred percent the price of gasoline and diesel and that was a huge hit to the ecuadorian people as so that people came out to the streets and now there was huge repression over twelve hundred people that were jailed and many people that were killed around a dozen or so and This is not justifiable by any means. In in our country we are against the austerity policies. That were pursued by the government of linney modano. We want to implement the heterodox economic policy that will increase public investment that will increase social protection for the population and that will in itself create economic recovery in the short and medium-term. So this is what we're proposing and Including emergency package for a million vulnerable families in the korean population. Also incredibly the pandemic has created a new problem which is like of internet access for about half of ecuador's student population. The hasn't been able to continue their studies because of lack of internet so we also need an emergency internet program which implies large infrastructure investment to cover the entire territory with quality internet for ecuadorians especially for youngsters so one of your opponents the indigenous environmentalist yaqoob peres ren on a platform calling for an end to mining and other extractive industries in ecuador. He was arrested fighting mining projects during the cray administration. Which you served. He was jailed under his administration. The world is facing climate catastrophe. Do you support these calls to end mining and also how would you improve relations with ecuador's indigenous communities. That were strained under president cordera. Well i think go arrest at the time was a mistake. I think That made him famous. But on the other hand. I think it was a bit Too much in terms of The policies that were pursued. At that moment i also think that the anti extractivism agenda has to be a perhaps a bit more sophisticated more detailed because there are many issues that have to be covered including for example industrialization of the minds development of the communities that are into surrounding areas. We cannot have neo-colonialists activist agenda. But we can perhaps pursue and development oriented mining and oil and agriculture agenda that takes into account the needs of the local communities and makes them the main stakeholders in these projects. They have to be linked with an entire educational and technological agenda so that the knowledge in technology associated with those projects can remain in the country and especially in those communities. Now i think we have a huge opportunity in ecuador to propose unity of the progressive sector indigenous sector and the social democracy sector. Which if you take into account net grow in the last election is above is above two thirds of the votes and also two thirds of the parliamentary representation so have a large opportunity to unite the progressive forces over quarter and to propose an agenda that furthers agenda proposing the constitution of quarter of two thousand eight which includes what we call a pluri-national and intercultural state with the indigenous movement. So i wanna ask you about this runoff. And whether you're concerned about it on monday. The organization of american states express quote concerned about ecuador's election. How concerned are you that the us that the united states could attempt to overturn this first election. We'll we're worried in the sense that there has now. There has not been decision. A formal decision on who the two final Parties to the run off. Are we know that we're going to be there. But by delaying the decision and there might be an attempt to delay the second round as well and even extended period At the government that would be unacceptable for the ecuadorian population. Everybody wants money no out. He has been totally negligent with the management of our country with the administration. So we're worried about that world so worried. That the possible recounts may create Incidents That would Destruction of electoral material. And that's not something that we want. We want a recount that is based on the constitution on the law. And if the recount does occur we need to be president as well it cannot only be just the discussion between the second and third places we also need to be there to safeguard the are being monitored that they are being taken care of so let me ask you about yaku. Pez position on other countries in latin america. He is running as an eco socialist. But also as a long record of publicly criticising many of america's former progressive leaders including brazil's jomo who saf also fernandez to kirshner of argentina in two thousand sixteen. He tweeted corruption. Ended the governments of the and christina. Now all that's missing is for rafael and madurai to fall. It's just a matter of time. Yakult peres later supported the coup in bolivia. He talked about evo. Morales says a little dictator. Can you talk about your positions on all of this right and i. I have to clarify that. He's not running on an eco socialist platform. He's basically running on an anti progressive platform himself. Even though indigenous movement is much more diverse much more agendas and indigenous movement largely also supports our candidacy. We have very good. Relations with the indigenous movement in ecuador and several of our candidates are also from the indigenous movement including former president of the canadian. Kind of quantum. So i think the the situation is a bit more sophisticated than that in a bit more nuanced and we are trying to build consensus and agreements around that area. Right now is not a moment too. strengthen the differences but rather to strengthen their similarities the point in common that we have with the indigenous movement and with an agenda that has to comply with 'ecuadorean constitution which is a constitution that re recognizes the need for a plurinational state. Which means that there has to be degrees of autonomy for the indigenous peoples that has to include a relationship where the indigenous languages have to be present in the educational system and when the other issues such as those so we're looking forward to finding a huge agreements for our country for the benefit of the population. And this is precisely the.