Incumbent Daniel Noboa was declared the winner in Ecuador’s presidential race on Sunday, with more than 90% of valid votes counted.
Naboa leads leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez, whom he beat in a 2023 race to become Ecuador’s leader, by 12 points.
Gonzalez told chanting supporters she would demand a recount, calling it “the worst and most grotesque electoral fraud in the history of Ecuador.”
With 92% of the ballots counted, Noboa had garnered 55.8% of votes, compared to Gonzalez’s 44.1%, a difference of more than one million votes.
Representing the National Democratic Action party, Naboa finished 16,746 votes ahead of his rival in the first round in February.
Noboa has essentially stayed on in a caretaker role since 2023, when his predecessor stepped down amid impeachment proceedings.
More than 13 million people eligible to vote
With concerns of election fraud high, both candidates, and Gonzalez’s mentor, former President Rafael Correa, have urged observers to be vigilant.
Polls opened at 07:00 local time (14:00 CEST, 12:00 GMT) and closed at 17:00 local time (00:00 Monday CEST, 22:00 GMT).
More than 13 million people are eligible to vote, which is mandatory for adults up to the age of 65. Failure to vote results in a $46 (€40.5) fine. It is optional for people aged 16 and 17, and for those over 65.
Who are the candidates?
In 2023, Noboa and Gonzalez were largely unknown to most voters as they sought the presidency for the first time.
They were first-term lawmakers in May 2023, when then-President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly, triggering snap election.
Noboa, 37, is heir to a multibillion-dollar banana fortune, while Gonzalez, 47, of the Citizens’ Revolution party, is a lawyer and a former lawmaker.
Courtesy DW with Report from AFP and Reuters
