Run-off in violence-torn Ecuador to pit Correa ally against son of banana tycoon
- Luisa Gonzalez to face Daniel Noboa in October 15 second round of Ecuador’s presidential election
- Election day passes without report of major incident after the race was clouded by the murder of a candidate
Ecuador’s presidential race will be decided in an October run-off between socialist candidate Luisa Gonzalez and entrepreneur Daniel Noboa, providing contrasting visions for how to bring prosperity to a violence-torn country.
Gonzalez, 45, led a field of eight candidates with about 33 per cent of the vote with two-thirds of ballots counted late on Sunday, according to the nation’s election authority.
That was short of the level needed to win outright against the other seven candidates. Noboa, 35, was solidly in second place with more than 24 per cent. All other rivals conceded.
Noboa immediately becomes the favourite to win in October since backers of other candidates are more likely to choose him over Gonzalez, said Ruth Hidalgo, dean of political science at Ecuador’s Universidad de las Americas.
While Gonzalez’s affiliation with former president Rafael Correa gave her the base of support she needed to win the first round, she’ll need to win over other voters with less fond memories of his tumultuous time in office.
Correa was found guilty of corruption in 2020 and sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison. He has been living in his wife’s native Belgium since 2017.