Ecuadorians began voting on Sunday to elect their next president, with approximately 14 million citizens participating in the process. The country is currently plagued by drug trafficking violence, indebtedness, and division between the return of the left and the continuity of the current president, Daniel Noboa.
The voting process started early in the morning, with the first voters arriving at the polling stations in the Andean capital, surrounded by volcanoes at an altitude of 2,850 meters above sea level. Some police officers were seen checking the backpacks of voters before they entered the electoral schools. Designer Paula Carrión, 26, expressed her hopes for the next president, stating that the main issues to be addressed are “a solution to crime, corruption, and economy, all those debts that the country has.”
Despite the ban on publishing surveys, several firms have indicated that two opposing candidates, Luisa González and Daniel Noboa, are favorites to win. However, it is likely that neither candidate will have enough votes to avoid a runoff on April 13. Ecuadorians are voting with the hope of reviving a country in economic crisis and affected by the war between drug cartels. The campaigns have been marked by strong security measures and proposals focused on curbing violence, which has resulted in a homicide rate of 38 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Candidate González has received threats and reported “intelligence reports that say there are risks, that they want to attack my life.” The emergency service has also warned of “serious complaints of a possible attack on democracy,” without providing further details. The opening ceremony was held at the National Electoral Council in Quito, but President Noboa was not in attendance.
Ecuadorians are required to vote to elect the president, vice president, 151 assembly members, and five Andean parliamentarians from 16 binomials. “The country is falling. The only thing I ask for the incoming president is to fix how bad it is,” says Luis Jaime Torres, a 28-year-old merchant.
Noboa vs González
The current electoral duel is between Noboa, 37, and González, 47, with Noboa seeking re-election and González aiming for revenge. The two candidates have previously faced each other in the 2023 extraordinary elections, which saw Noboa become one of the youngest presidents in the world. This time, González aspires to be the first elected female president in the country’s history.
Noboa, an heir to a banana magnate, won the previous election despite having limited political experience. He has become popular as a ruler with an iron hand against drug cartels and has been active on social media. González, on the other hand, is a single mother with an agenda that promises more “social justice” and respect for human rights.
“Memecracia”
Experts have questioned the lack of concrete projects from the candidates to address the country’s worst crisis in half a century. The campaigns have been marked by battles on social media, with misinformation and the use of artificial intelligence. “It is a reality, a memecracy (…) and that is the only thing that people are disconnected from politics (…) It is a society that has lowered their arms,” says political analyst Leonardo Laso.
Noboa’s brief but eventful mandate has seen electricity cuts caused by a historic drought, diplomatic relations broken with Mexico, and criticism of government security policies. The country is also struggling with a poverty rate of 28% and a public debt that borders 57% of GDP, according to the IMF. For analyst Laso, spectacular operations against crime project an image of the country that frightens “any possibility of investment” and generates “an adverse climate to employment generation.” The future of Ecuador is uncertain, with student Valentina Moncayo, 18, stating that “you have to vote with conscience.”