Incumbent Daniel Noboa Wins Presidential Polls In Ecuador Defeating Luisa Gonsalves

By Satyaki Chakraborty

The right wing President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa won Presidential elections run off on April 13 by securing 55.85 per cent of the votes polled as against 44.15 per cent polled by his rival Luis Gonzalez of the left coalition, defying the close fight predictions given by the opinion polls. The Left rival Luisa Gonzalez demanded the recount amidst noisy demonstrations by her supporters who alleged that the polls were rigged by the Noboa regime.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) stated that the margin “marks an irreversible trend,” effectively recognizing Noboa’s victory. Soon after the CNE figures were known, President Noboa in his speech to his supporters called it a historic win. Simultaneously, Gonzalez said that she would request the Electoral Council for a recount and for ballot boxes to be opened. The Left leaders charged that the Noboa regime interfered in the election process taking advantage of the emergency during the polling period.

The Left leaders pointed out that in the first round of Presidential polls in February, there was virtually a tie as Noboa got only 0.17 per cent votes more- a margin of mere 16,746 votes. In the last few weeks, nothing favourable to Noboa happened to show about 10 per cent lead. The international observers from the European Union and the Organisation of American States had monitored the elections on Sunday. They will be giving their report but they have indicated that polling was done in a normal manner.

In the recent months, the Ecuadorian population faced an energy crisis that led to power cuts for long hours. Further, there was a drop in growth rate and rise in poverty levels. So, the Gonzalez camp said that such a big win for Noboa in the present state of Ecuadorian economy was not possible without rigging. As against this, Noboa supporters said that the people had faith in strong leadership of Noboa to fight the drug mafia and his plan to bring down unemployment level.

With this 2025 election, President Noboa will now rule for a full term of four years till 2029. He took up power in 2023 from the earlier President Guillermo Lasso who dissolved the congress and stepped down to avoid impeachment. Noboa then contested and defeated his present rival Luisa Gonzalez by a much narrower margin his 51.83 per cent as against Gonzalez’s 48.17 per cent

Luisa Gonzalez is a renowned lawyer and she worked under the former president Rafael Correa as a minister. Correa was president of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. He brought about many changes favouring the underprivileged people during his tenure. He was hounded out in corruption charges. The government was led by President Lasso, a banker of the right wing camp. Daniel Noboa got elected in 2023 snap poll beating Luisa Gonzalez as Lasso was not allowed to contest presidential elections due to serious corruption charges against him. Noboa ruled for just sixteen months of the remaining tenure of Lasso.

The left wing coalition of Gonzalez has been following the programme of their mentor Correa though he is abroad. The defeated left presidential candidate has wide experience as a law maker while Noboa was a newcomer in 2023 before taking over as the president. He belongs to one of the wealthiest families of Ecuador having monopoly over banana plantations industry.

In 2025, a few other Latin American countries like Bolivia are going for national elections. The right forces are inspired by the victory of Donald Trump as they are looking for big help from US administration for fighting against the Left ruled governments such as in Bolivia. In Bolivia, the problem is that the Left wing coalition Movement for Socialism (MAS) is split between the present president and the former president and there is no sign that this will be made up before the next polls.

The Left forces in Latin America were eagerly waiting for the Presidential polls in these two countries Ecuador and Bolivia. Now with Ecuador opting for the right wing President Daniel Noboa rejecting the Left veteran Luisa Gonzalez, all focus will be on next presidential polls in Bolivia on August 17 this year. For the Latin American Left, 2025 is a testing period of the movement in the context of Trump’s attacks on left and liberal regimes in the region. (IPA Service)