Ecuador’s presidential runoff on April 13, 2025, features incumbent Daniel Noboa and former Assemblywoman Luisa González. The first round saw both candidates securing around 44% of the vote, with Noboa leading by a narrow margin. Key challenges ahead include navigating a split National Assembly and addressing pressing issues like security and employment. Voters must choose between continuity and a shift towards correísmo.
Ecuador is set to conduct its presidential runoff on April 13, 2025, where voters will decide between maintaining continuity under President Daniel Noboa or returning to the policies of correísmo exemplified by former Assemblywoman Luisa González. The first round of voting yielded surprising closeness, with Noboa securing just 19,800 more votes than González, both candidates garnering approximately 44 percent of the total votes cast.
The total electorate consisted of nearly 13.8 million voters, with a turnout of 83 percent. Leonidas Iza, an Indigenous candidate, finished in third place with 5 percent of the votes, representing over 538,000 voters who will influence the runoff battle. Iza has publicly rejected any negotiations for endorsements, stating that “not a single vote goes to the right,” referencing his opposition to Noboa’s policies.
The new President will confront a split National Assembly, with González’s Citizen Revolution party gaining 67 seats and Noboa’s National Democratic Action securing 66 seats, out of a total of 151. To implement their agendas effectively, both candidates will need to consider alliances with smaller parties, notably Iza’s Pachakutik, which holds 9 seats, to achieve a simple majority of 76 votes.
A closer examination of the candidates reveals contrasting approaches towards pressing issues such as security, employment, and energy supply. Vanda Felbab-Brown, a security expert from Brookings, has analyzed Noboa’s tough stance on crime, which is reminiscent of strategies employed by leaders like Nayib Bukele. As the region’s economic growth remains sluggish yet positive for 2025, the implications of this election extend beyond mere leadership to encompass broader national security and economic strategies.
Overall, the upcoming runoff election in Ecuador represents a crucial juncture for the nation, with Daniel Noboa and Luisa González presenting starkly different visions for the future. Voters are faced with choosing between a continuation of Noboa’s policies or a shift towards the values of correísmo represented by González. The need for collaboration in a divided National Assembly and ongoing challenges related to security and economic growth further complicate this electoral decision.
Original Source: www.as-coa.org
