Elections and epidemics in South America: irresponsible and sensible

Sunday, April 11, 2021 12:24 PM

-Bar: Rashid Mamauni-

Buenos Aires – In South America, the countries that are organizing elections in 2021 are in two divisions in the wake of an epidemic fall. There are those who, despite the dangers, are irresponsible in retaining the study and maintaining their election calendar unchanged, and there are also warners who choose to rearrange the calendar in the hope that a second wave of epidemics will ensue.

Among the irresponsible, Peru sees this Sunday’s presidential and assembly elections as a way out of a long-running political turmoil.

The country must elect a new head of state who will see Peru as the Messiah who will save it from its political crisis and the country with a serious health crisis. This partly explains why the Peruvian political class, including the current president, refuses to touch the election calendar, despite the devastating effects of the second wave and the roller coaster vaccination campaign.

The Peruvians want to see a new president and a parliament emerge from the polls worthy of their trust and from the dangers of taking the virus to vote.

The situation is no different in neighboring Ecuador. The country is making progress in holding the second round of the presidential election this Sunday, a ballot marked by allegations of uncertainty and fraud by the candidate who came in third, and has therefore been excluded from the second round.

The decision to hold the ballot to close the election chapter and tackle the post-epidemic challenges was clear.

The two finalists are from two opposing schools of thought, one represented by the liberal ex-banker Guillermo Lasso, the other marked on the left, and the one convicted of corruption by former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017).

The outcome of this election in Ecuador may give a taste of what might happen in other countries in the region.

In Bolivia, the second round of regional elections is taking place this Sunday in the wake of a severe political crisis following the detention of former President Jenin Anes, who is said to have overthrown the regime against former President Evo Morales. The country was in the midst of struggles to reject his election for the fourth time.

In this landlocked South American country, political coercion seems to be suppressing health precautionary measures.

The movement of President Louis Ars and his mentor Evo Morales seeks to gain quick control over the majority of municipalities and the nine regions of the country. But La Paz, the controversial capital, has a key role to play in the movement towards socialism and a coalition of citizens.

Living on an election day in the midst of an epidemic facing these three countries, the other two countries in the region have chosen Chile and Argentina to play with caution.

Chile, living in a dream due to unprecedented virus contamination, has postponed all referendums scheduled for this year.

The country, which was to elect a constituency legislature to amend the basic law, voted in the wake of constitutional reform, setting new dates for elections in the hope that the epidemic would quickly pass.

Voting, scheduled for this weekend, is set for the 15th and 16th, but not yet.

More than 97% of the Chilean population has been re-sealed, but reports of contamination, due to new strains, have not given Chilean authorities a chance, and they have been hailed for the start of a successful but tainted vaccination campaign. By the second wave.

Finally in Argentina, the government has proposed a one-month postponement (November instead of October) of the interim legislative elections due to the risks of the epidemic.

Mandatory primaries in Argentina scheduled for August are also affected by this 30-day postponement. But the right-wing opposition seems reluctant and suspects a political maneuver behind the postponement plan.

Like Chile, Argentina is deeply concerned about the unprecedented wave of epidemics for a week. The country has imposed a series of restrictions on movements and meetings to control pollution and prevent the collapse of the health system.

Whether irresponsible or prudent, all of these countries have their eyes fixed on the situation of their larger Brazilian neighbors. Part of their results largely depended on the evolution of the epidemic in this country.