At the age of 37, Daniel Noboa, the son of a rich entrepreneur with bananas, is one of the youngest presidents in the world.
Ecuador residents vote on Sunday in the second round of the presidential election. The two most successful candidates from the first round, which took place 9th Feburár – the reigning conservative head of state Daniel Noboa and left -wing lawyer Luisa González, advanced to it.
In the first round, Daniel Noboa won with 44.2 percent of the vote, Luisa González came with 44 percent just behind him. Surveys conducted before the second round indicate that its result will be equally tight.
13.7 million citizens aged 18 to 65 can participate in the elections. Participation in the elections is mandatory in Ecuador. The polling stations are open from 07.00 to 5 pm local time (14.00 – 24.00 CEST).
One of the youngest presidents in the world
At the age of 37, Noboa, the son of a rich entrepreneur with bananas, is one of the youngest presidents in the world. He became the head of state in October 2023, when he also won the early elections over González.
These elections were held after the then President Guillermo Lasso dissolved Parliament after two years in the office. During the Noboa-Em, the country has seen a significant increase in violence related to the smuggling of cocaine from neighboring Colombia and Peru to Europe, Australia and the USA. The number of murders increased from 5.8 to 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 to the current 50.7.
Daniel Noboa responded to this by declaring a state of emergency and deployed soldiers to the fight against drug cartels. His opponents accused him of a conscious acceptance of human rights violations.
Gonzálezová supports the exile but still influential left -wing former President Rafael Correa. He has supporters primarily in the poorer strata of society and in its native region.
