On February 9, Ecuador held presidential elections against the backdrop of a political, economic, security, and social crisis. Ecuadorians will head back to the polls on April 13 for a runoff that could prove decisive for the health of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Both of the leading candidates have endorsed continued extractivism and oil drilling in the Amazon, weakened Indigenous rights, and increased political persecution of their opponents.

President Noboa's term has been marked by militarization, an energy crisis, and human rights violations. His opponent, Luisa González of the political movement of former president Rafael Correa, ran on a left-leaning platform to expand social policies, but her party also has a record of supporting extractivism, corruption, and the persecution of adversaries.

Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza did not make the runoff, but the support of the Indigenous movement may be key to tipping the scales of the election. Iza has been one of the country's strongest opponents of extractivism and a fierce critic of the government's ongoing failure to implement the referendum to permanently protect Yasuní National Park.

Historically, the Indigenous movement has played a decisive role in the moments of greatest political tension in Ecuador. The challenge now is to define a strategy in a scenario where both candidates have supported extractivism, the use of public forces to quell social protest, and opposition to Indigenous rights.

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