Speech analysis: Internal Security by candidates Guillermo Lasso and Andrés Arauz, 2021 elections

Abstract

Introduction: the analysis of the discourse of the electoral campaign proposals presented in the work plans of the finalist candidates for the presidency in the 2021 elections, focused on the issue of internal security and the prison in Ecuador, scenario of riots, massacres, violence, and murders of people deprived of liberty as prison guides. Objectives: a) Define the elements of political discourse in the government plans of the finalist candidates Guillermo Lasso and Andrés Arauz. b) Analyze the discourse of the presidential candidates on the issue of internal security in the country's prisons. Methodology: the study is of a qualitative-quantitative nature, where a compilation of studies on the country's prison situation and the candidates' government plans is made, supported by communication theories focused on discourse analysis and techniques such as interviews with experts on the subject. Results: the programmatic plans of the campaign have linguistic resources of the political discourse that structure technical or not extremely attractive proposals for the voter, which contributes to the fact that their offers tend to be divergent towards the problem of security. Conclusions: the candidate Andrés Arauz lacked the didactic component in his political discourse focused on a historical knowledge of the prison reality in the country. Guillermo Lasso demonstrated an efficient and well-founded linguistic organization, use of appropriate language resources as a macro-social intentionality, concepts related to security, in a persuasive and pondered tone.