Ecuadorians will soon be headed to the urns to vote in their new president – the eighth in ten years.

Elections in October will see one of nine current candidates take office in the new government.

The country has a rocky political past and present, and its people are famed for bringing down presidents by taking to the streets en masse.

The candidates at this week’s presidential debate. (photo: Partido Social Cristiano)

In April 2005, Lucio Gutierrez – whom even the tiniest summer camp kids at the Centre for the Working Girl (CENIT) referred to as ‘Sucio Lucio’ (grubby Lucio) - was ousted by congress following widespread protests, some of which turned violent.

As successor Alfredo Palacios took over the reigns, Amnesty International investigator Nuria García demanded that the new president guaranteed “respect for human rights, independent judicial powers, and primacy of the law” in order to bring calm to the streets of Ecuador.

But there is little to suggest that Ecuador is facing a more stable political future. Miami Herald correspondent Andres Oppenheimer noted the ‘depressing scene’ of this week’s presidential debate, with one candidate backing the use of popular protest to topple presidents.

“If the head of state doesn’t meet the people’s mandate because he’s an impostor, he must be removed from power,” economist candidate Rafael Correa told Mr Oppenheimer.

As well as worrying international observers, this glorifying of insurrection is frustrating to many Ecuadorians struggling to find stability in their country.

Byron Salvatierra, who lives opposite the CENIT building in Quito and has long been involved with the centre, sees the direct repercussions the shifting political and economic landscape has on working children and street children.

“Until there’s a stable economy and the majority of Ecuadorians have a job and a salary on which they can live, there will still be children on the street,” he says simply.

Instead of making improvements, Byron says at times he feels like the country is moving backwards. “It is my opinion that now it is more difficult economically for the Ecuadorians. You see more children on the street in all of Quito and a week ago I was in Guayaquil where the situation with street children is very serious.”

While programmes such as those offered by CENIT and other organisations in the city aim to ease the strain of poverty, many Ecuadorians feel that government spending is misdirected.

“They’re only interested in making Ecuador’s two principal cities – Quito and Guayaquil – more beautiful. The streets look attractive, but there are still children living on them – that’s the real problem,” says Byron.

“The truth is it’s not easy to work because every day you see the need of the people more strongly and you feel a great sadness for that situation.”