Ecuador voters went to polls on Sunday to decide whether Daniel Noboa, the central president, will take another term after 15 months in office.
His predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, called for the first elections in 2023 as he faced procedures for disputes regarding misappropriation categories. Mr Noboa, 37, a Harvard Kennedy school graduate from one of the richest families of Ecuador, has unexpectedly increased in polls to win the election and serve Mr Lasso’s term.
The direction that the problem nation will take about 18 million will be at stake as it faces violence and high unemployment, the issues that have sent tens of thousands of equatorians to the United States.
Why are these elections important?
Five years ago, Mr Noboa was a politician unknown. He was elected to the country’s legislative body in 2021 and served a term.
During the 2023 elections to replace Mr Lasso, he climbed from the bottom of the polls in the first round of voting to win a second victory after a strong debate. He then hit a candidate left -handed Foundation, Luisa González, in the second round.
Ms González runs again and represents the party of a strong former president, Rafael Correa, a polarized number in Ecuador. Many voters are nostalgic for the low violence and the strong economy that characterized his presidency, while others remember his authoritarian style and belief in corruption.
For years, Mr Correa’s leftist movement has defined Ecuador’s policy, but some analysts say that if Mr Noboa wins it is able to create a movement of his own.
Mr Noboa’s party, which was formed less than a year ago, is foreseen in polls to win about one -third of the legislator’s seats – the same as Mr Correa’s party.
What are the top candidates?
Mr Noboa was elected for the first time in the back of a desperate desire to change after an explosion of insecurity in Ecuador and a particularly bloody 2023 election cycle, including the killing of another presidential candidate.
Although violence, along with unemployment, remain high, has leaning into an aggressive social media strategy to promote a picture of youth and vigor that has fascinated many of its voters.
In an attempt to suppress the deterioration of violence and in the manifestation of prison riots, Mr Noboa last year imposed a state of internal armed conflict, allowing the army to patrol the roads and prisons.
He also sent the police to the Mexican Embassy in Kito, the capital, to arrest a politician seeking refuge in prison for corruption in what was considered a diplomatic protocol violation. Some analysts have seen the moves as overrun of the presidential power and a threat to political freedoms.
But his supporters see him as a bold leader willing to break the rules and resist corrupt forces. In April, the equatorials adopted the hard line approach when they approved a referendum that was guaranteed the increased military presence in the law.
“He has to be stable to make people respect him,” said Jessica Navarro, 34, a taxi driver in Kito.
Mrs González, the political opponent, has been determined by her relationship with Mr Correa, who put her hand in hand to represent his party.
“When Rafael Correa was there, he really argued us very much,” said Edgar Escobar, 28, a nursing student who supports Ms. González. “I would like to return to this country we had before.”
But Ledy Zúñiga, a former justice minister who is running for the National Assembly with Ms González’s party, pushed back the idea that it represents the past.
“We’re not going to go back to the past,” he said. “People are still eight years later accusing things that are happening in a government that is no longer here. More than returning to the past, the point is to have a team with experience and technical knowledge, because public administration is not easy . “
What are the main issues?
Ecuador faces persistent violence, chronic unemployment and energy crisis. January saw more violent deaths than every month in the last three years, according to police data.
A drought last year in a country that is largely dependent on hydroelectricity that causes 14 hours of power cuts daily for about three months. The crisis threatened water, hive and internet service, closed businesses and threatened entire industries.
Over the past five years, the drug surveillance industry has expanded to Ecuador, drawing on international criminal groups and releasing extraordinary levels of violence to the once peaceful nation.
But Mr Noboa’s campaign has been generally determined more than the image – the country has been flooded with cardboard cuts – and less than specific policy proposals to address the challenges of his country.
Mr Noboa often speaks vaguely to throw the “old equator” into the trash.
Ms González underlined the treatment of the security crisis by reinforcing Ecuador Institutions such as Justice, Health and Education systems.
When will the results be known?
Ecuador’s presidential election usually have two rounds of voting, with the two top candidates in the first round facing a second round. To win the first round, a candidate must receive more than 50 % of the votes or 40 % of the 10 -point vote than the nearest opponent.
Polls showed that Mr Noboa in the lead before Sunday’s election, with the possibility of winning several votes to avoid a runoff.
The vote started at 7am. on Sunday and ended at 5 pm The results are expected to begin to come around 6 pm
