LIMA – Ecuador and Peru choose new presidents Sunday under strict public health measures prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has recently strengthened in the neighboring South American nations.
Ecuadoreans face a runoff between a conservative businessman and a protégé of former leftist President Rafael Correa, while Peruvians have 18 options to pick from in the first round.
All seats in Peru’s congress, too, are being contested. The elections come amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in both countries and meager progress in their vaccination programs.
Lockdowns have returned, threating further damage to the nations’ already battered economies. In Ecuador, voters have been ordered to wear a mask, bring their own hand sanitizer and pencil,