Ecuador votes in presidential election amid surge in crime

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00:00Here in Ecuador's capital, all hands are on deck for the first round of presidential elections,

00:05with military personnel overseeing the distribution of electoral material.

00:10Security is one of the top issues for Ecuadorian voters due to the country's location and its

00:15surging violence that's caused it to now be regarded as one of the most dangerous nations

00:18in the region.

00:20It's important to highlight the work of the armed forces in ensuring the security of the

00:24chain of custody. It's crucial to understand that, starting today, the armed forces take

00:29control of the electoral package and transport them to the polling stations under strict

00:33custody.

00:36The election's sea incumbent president, Daniel Naboa, go head to head with his left-wing

00:40challenger from the last vote, Luisa Gonzalez.

00:44US-born Naboa has presided over a period of crises in his term, declaring several states

00:49of emergency and deploying military troops to tackle the soaring gang activity and drug

00:53trafficking.

00:54He's taken a hard-line policy of tackling criminal gangs and corruption head on, and

00:59promised to bring back prosperity.

01:01Amidst a dozen other candidates, his main rival, Gonzalez, has also pledged to viciously

01:06tackle the drug trade, revive the slumping economy and increase alternative energy amidst

01:11widespread blackouts.

01:13Security is also tight at the border with Peru, where drug gang-related violence had

01:17previously triggered a state of emergency.

01:20The border closure has been enforced. This is an exceptional measure under the framework

01:25of this decree, which mainly temporarily restricts the entry of foreign citizens into the country

01:31to protect security, constituted order and democracy during this electoral process.

01:38Almost 14 million Ecuadorians are obliged to vote in the elections. According to Human

01:43Rights Watch, the country's murder rate has increased over 400 percent in the last five

01:47years.

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