Monday, April 14, 2025 - Ecuador’s President, Daniel Noboa has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election based on preliminary results, despite demands for a recount from his main opponent, Luisa González.
The election, overshadowed by drug-related violence and
insecurity, came at a critical moment for the once-peaceful South American
nation. Noboa, a conservative, campaigned on a platform of combating crime and
revitalizing the economy, under the banner of “New Ecuador.”
With 90% of ballots counted, National Electoral Council
President Diana Atamaint announced that the trend in favor of Noboa was
irreversible, officially confirming him as the winner
However, González, a leftist lawyer and protégé of former
President Rafael Correa, rejected the results, alleging irregularities and
calling for a full recount.
“In the name of the people we
represent, we do not recognize the results presented by the electoral council,”
González declared to supporters in Quito. “I refuse to believe the people would
choose lies over truth, violence over peace, and division over unity.”
In contrast, Noboa celebrated the outcome at a rally in the
beach town of Olón. “This day has been historic. This victory is historic — a
win by over 10 points, by more than a million votes. There is no doubt who the
winner is,” he said.
The two candidates previously faced off in the 2023 snap
election to complete the term of the previous administration, where Noboa
narrowly defeated González with just over 50% of the vote.
Noboa has pursued an aggressive anti-crime agenda, declared
multiple states of emergency and deployed military forces to crack down on
gangs. His administration also began constructing a new maximum-security prison
after a high-profile criminal escape.
Despite these efforts, violence has surged. The government
reports over 1,000 homicides already this year, with Ecuador now said to have
the highest homicide rate in Latin America, according to In Sight Crime.
Many voters expressed that security was their top concern.
“Tranquility is the most important thing for the country,” one voter said.
Another added, “Security is in pieces. We need real action.”
To combat organized crime, Noboa has sought international
partnerships — notably with the U.S. In March, he announced a strategic
alliance with Erik Prince, founder of the former private military company
Blackwater. CNN obtained documents suggesting plans to house U.S. military
forces at a new naval base in Ecuador. Noboa has also proposed lifting the
country’s constitutional ban on foreign military bases, imposed in 2008.
While Noboa advocates a militarized and internationally
supported crackdown on gangs, González offered a starkly different approach.
Her plan centers on violence prevention, community coexistence, and the
re-establishment of the Ministry of Justice, dismantled in 2018. She also
opposes foreign intervention and promised to eliminate the current prison
management agency.
Campaigning on the slogan “Revive Ecuador,” González called
for increased social spending to aid the country’s poor, branding Noboa’s
leadership as one rooted in “fear.”
To maintain order on election day, the government deployed
over 45,000 security personnel. Authorities also prohibited ballot selfies,
threatening violators with fines of up to $32,000 following reports that
criminal groups had coerced voters during previous rounds.
The political divide between Noboa’s hardline security
measures and González’s socially focused agenda reflects broader tensions in
Ecuador, a country at a crossroads amid escalating violence and public demand
for change.
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