▁president ial ▁term . ▁This ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁econom ical ▁inst ability ▁that ▁E cuador ▁experienced ▁after ▁Ab dal á ▁Buc aram ▁was ▁im pe ached ▁by ▁the ▁former ▁Congress , ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁and ▁that ▁last ed ▁until ▁Cor rea ' s ▁inaug uration ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁call ▁for ▁general ▁elections ▁happened ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁election ▁campaign s ▁were ▁officially ▁launched ▁on ▁January ▁ 4 ▁and ▁ended ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 4 , ▁as ▁announced ▁by ▁C NE ▁member ▁Juan ▁Pablo ▁Poz o . ▁ ▁V ot ers ▁chose ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Republic , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁national ▁and ▁provincial ▁assembly ▁members , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁And e an ▁Parliament , ▁may ors , ▁pre fect s , ▁and ▁other ▁section al ▁officials . ▁ ▁The ▁se ated ▁President ▁Cor rea , ▁a ▁two - term ▁inc umb ent , ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁bringing ▁stability ▁and ▁prosper ity ▁to ▁E cuador ' s ▁nearly ▁ 1 5 ▁million ▁people . ▁A ▁sta unch ▁friend ▁of ▁Venezuela ' s ▁Hugo ▁Ch ave z , ▁he ▁is ▁usually ▁described ▁as ▁" left ist " ▁and ▁" social ist ." ▁He ▁is ▁committed ▁to ▁pover ty ▁reduction ▁through ▁not ▁just ▁economic ▁growth , ▁but ▁red ist ribution ▁of ▁wealth ▁as ▁well . ▁As ▁he ▁told ▁the ▁C EL AC ▁Sum mit ▁in