By María Josefina Arce

Guillermo Lasso's results turned out badly. The preliminary results of the regional elections and the popular consultation he promoted, carried out this Sunday in Ecuador, are already a hard blow for the government he presides, when he barely has a 15% approval rating.

The data provided by the National Electoral Council show that the candidates of the opposition Revolución Ciudadana, of former president Rafael Correa, have achieved important victories in the elections, which counted with more than 80% of participation.

Revolución Ciudadana's candidates for mayor won in Quito and Guayaquil, the two most important cities in the country, while they also won the prefecture of Guayas, traditionally in the hands of the right wing. They are also in the lead in other localities.

The elections were not exempt from the violence that has been prevailing for months in Ecuadorian territory, which has even been the scene of prison massacres, and which today constitutes one of the great concerns of the population.

In fact, during the campaign, even hours before the opening of the polling stations, two candidates of Correa's party for the mayoralties of the coastal town of Salinas and Puerto Lopez were assassinated.

With more than 50% of the votes, the NO is the trend in the eight questions of the referendum, whose call had been rejected by a good part of the citizenship for considering it unnecessary, since it does not solve the problems that afflict the South American nation, such as the high insecurity.

Political analyst Mauro Andino, quoted by Prensa Latina news agency, said that with the consultation Lasso proposed an accumulation of lies and hoaxes disguised as security, institutionalism and environment.

Social and union organizations had already pronounced themselves in favor of a negative vote on the eight questions. Marcela Arellano, president of the United Workers Front, pointed out that the referendum did not come from the popular sectors, but from the elite, from the neoliberal government.

In the perception of the citizenry, this mechanism promoted by Lasso only sought to oxygenate the government and refresh the deteriorated image of the banker president.

The truth is that it did not take into account the urgent and objective needs of Ecuadorians, such as employment, access to social security, health and education, rights that have been violated since the previous government, presided by Lenin Moreno and that have not been guaranteed under Lasso's mandate.

Sunday's elections have changed the political landscape of Ecuador for at least the next two years, and reaffirmed the discontent of the citizens, who gave a punishment vote to the government presided by Lasso.