Imagine having to choose between Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi for president. That resembles the unenviable decision Ecuador's voters have given themselves in a run-off ballot for their country's presidency in a month's time. In the election's first round on October 20th, the voters favoured two outsiders. The surprise winner with 20.4% of the vote was Lucio Gutierrez, who as an army colonel led a coup which toppled an elected president in 2000. He will face Al-varo Noboa, Ecuador's banana king and richest businessman, who won 17.4%. Ecuador has never been famous for economic or political stability. Even so, its election seemed to confirm some recent trends in South American politics, and especially those of the Andean countries. They include dissatisfaction with traditional leaders, political fragmentation, a shift in some places to the left, the growing political influence of Indian groups―and the likelihood that change will be less radi―cal than the more lurid headlines suggest.
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