Ecuador’s Presidential Contenders Make Final Appeals Ahead of Tight Runoff Vote

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, 12 April 2025 (BSS/AFP) – As Ecuador braces for a critical runoff election on Sunday, both presidential candidates – incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist challenger Luisa González – have delivered their final appeals to a deeply divided electorate, with the campaign drawing to a close amid tight security measures and an enforced silence period.

🇪🇨 The Candidates at a Glance

With just under 14 million registered voters, the South American nation stands at a crossroads, torn between continuity and change, between promises of a stronger hand against spiralling drug violence or a return to progressive social programmes.

Crime, Poverty, and Gender: The Election’s Central Issues

Public frustration has surged amid economic stagnation, rising unemployment, and rampant crime, with Ecuador registering one murder per hour in the first two months of 2025 – the bloodiest start to a year on record.

“There is no work and insecurity is on the rise,” lamented Adela, a 29-year-old mother. “They always make promises, but when they are elected, they never fulfil them.”

Security and Foreign Policy

Noboa has taken a firm stance on security, proposing the controversial deployment of U.S. military troops to combat the proliferation of drug cartels using Ecuador as a conduit between Colombian and Peruvian cocaine routes and global markets.

By contrast, González, closely associated with ex-president Rafael Correa – now in self-exile in Belgium following a contested corruption conviction – has signalled a potential pivot away from U.S. alignment, favouring a more independent foreign policy.

🔍 Ecuador Election 2025: Key Facts

| Total Registered Voters | ~14 million | | First Round Margin | ~17,000 votes | | Female Voters Targeted | $40,000 loan pledge by González for single mothers | | Indigenous Voter Base | Over 500,000 votes in play (Leonidas Iza support) | | Violence Rate 2025 | 1 murder/hour (Jan–Feb) |

A Historic Moment for Gender Equality

If elected, González would become the first female president in Ecuador’s history, a milestone she emphasised in her closing rally in Guayaquil. Her campaign proposed low-interest loans of up to $40,000 for single mothers – a move designed to capture the support of Ecuador’s women voters.

“Violence, poverty and unemployment have hit us women hardest,” González stated.

Noboa: The Heir and the Outsider

Despite holding office and hailing from one of Ecuador’s wealthiest families, Noboa has cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate, pledging to break with the political status quo.

“The country does not deserve to be mistreated by the same old politicians,” he asserted, referencing González’s close ties with the Correa era.

⚖️ Uncertain Outcome and Post-Election Fears

Polls indicate the race is virtually tied, and analysts warn that a narrow result could spark claims of fraud and usher in a presidency with a fragile mandate.

“If the difference is very small, the government will be born with a problem: it has almost half the country against it,” cautioned Simon Pachano, a political expert at FLACSO (Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences).

As Ecuador awaits Sunday’s decisive vote, it does so with anxiety, hope, and a deep yearning for safety, economic revival, and trust in governance.