Ecuadorians will head to a second round of voting on October 15th, according to the National Electoral Council (NEC) Chair Diana Atamaint, instead of hearing a victory speech at one of the political headquarters in the capital city of Quito.
Left-leaning lawyer Luisa González received 33% of the votes and is the frontrunner heading into the second round. However, she does not have the most momentum. In October, she will face the surprise candidate of the election, right-wing candidate Daniel Noboa, who received 24% of the votes, a result far ahead of several front-runners.
35-year-old Noboa is believed to have gained many votes through a strong performance in the only televised debate, where he appeared wearing a bulletproof vest.
The election was overshadowed by the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito on August 9th. He conducted a bold campaign against corruption and organized crime, and almost all candidates in the election have promised to combat drug cartels.
This is especially true for Noboa, who is trying to accomplish what his father failed to do in five previous elections – become the country’s president.
In conjunction with the presidential election, the majority voted to halt oil drilling in the Amazon, which had been ongoing since 2016. The reserve, home to five indigenous groups, three of which live in isolation from the outside world, is affected by this decision.
The halt will impact one-eighth of the country’s oil production and cost Ecuador the equivalent of 176 billion kronor over the next 20 years.
