Ecuador will hold a runoff election on April 13 to choose its next president. Incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González are the finalists, vying for a full four-year term and promising voters a reduction in the widespread crime that has plagued the country.
Ecuador will head to a runoff election on April 13 to determine its next president. Conservative incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González secured enough votes in Sunday's election to advance, defeating 14 other candidates. The election will be a rematch of the October 2023 snap election, which saw Noboa take office for a 16-month term. Both candidates are promising voters a reduction in the widespread criminal activity that has plagued Ecuador for years.
The country's crime problem, heavily linked to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru, has deeply impacted citizens' lives. Personal and collective losses due to crime have become a significant factor in voters' decisions, driving the question of whether a third president in four years can turn the tide or if Noboa deserves another term. Noboa, an heir to a banana trade fortune, and González, a protégé of former President Rafael Correa, were the clear frontrunners leading up to the election. With 80% of ballots counted, Noboa received over 3.71 million votes (44.43%), while González garnered over 3.69 million votes (44.17%). The remaining candidates trailed far behind. Voter turnout exceeded expectations, with over 83% of Ecuador's roughly 13.7 million eligible voters casting ballots. Noboa's term has seen a decrease in the homicide rate, dropping from 46.18 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 38.76 per 100,000 people last year. However, the rate remains significantly higher than the 6.85 per 100,000 people recorded in 2019. Other crimes, like kidnapping and extortion, have surged, causing widespread fear among the population. 'For me, this president is disastrous,' said Marta Barres, 35, a voter who cast her ballot with her three teenage children. 'Can he change things in four more years? No. He hasn't done anything.' Barres, who pays a local gang $25 a month to avoid harassment, expressed her support for González, believing she can effectively address crime and improve the economy. Noboa's victory in the October 2023 runoff election, triggered by then-President Guillermo Lasso's dissolution of the National Assembly, marked his entry into politics. Both Noboa and González, a former Correa administration official, had brief stints as lawmakers before launching their presidential bids. To win outright on Sunday, a candidate needed 50% of the vote or at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest challenger. The election was heavily secured, with over 100,000 police officers and military personnel deployed nationwide, including at polling stations. At least 50 officers accompanied Noboa, his wife, and their 2-year-old son to a polling station in the small Pacific coast community of Olón. Noboa's presidency has been marked by controversial 'mano dura' (hard-hand) tactics aimed at curbing organized crime. Some of these tactics, including the declaration of a state of internal armed conflict in January 2024 to deploy the military in areas ravaged by organized crime, and last year's police raid on Mexico's embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas, have been criticized for pushing the boundaries of law and governance. González, 47, served in various government positions during Correa's presidency (2007-2017), known for its socially conservative policies and free-spending approach. Correa was sentenced to prison in absentia in 2020 for corruption. González held a seat in the National Assembly from 2021 until May 2023 when Lasso dissolved it
Ecuador Election Presidency Runoff Crime Daniel Noboa Luisa González
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