President Daniel Noboa.
OLÓN, Ecuador (AP) — President Daniel Noboa secured reelection Sunday, positioning himself to lead Ecuador through 2029 after a turbulent year marked by gang violence and political instability.
With 75.82% of votes counted, Noboa received 56.13% of the vote, defeating Luisa González of the leftist Citizens’ Revolution party, who trailed with 43.87%, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The results reaffirm support for Noboa’s hardline stance on security and his plans for economic reform.
Noboa, 36, campaigned on promises to intensify his government’s fight against organized crime, including a controversial proposal to replace the 2008 Constitution with a new charter designed to strengthen presidential powers.
He cast his vote in the coastal province of Santa Elena, where he later followed results from his residence in Olón.
González, backed by former President Rafael Correa, sought to return Ecuador to the leftist policies of the early 2000s. A victory would have made her the country’s first female president.
SEE ALSO: Ecuador Crime Profile: A Deep Dive into Criminal Networks, Prisons, and the Justice System
Instead, Noboa maintained a lead of roughly one million votes, with a quarter of ballots still uncounted.
More than 13.7 million Ecuadorians were eligible to vote in the high-stakes election, and voter turnout reached 83.7%, according to official data.
The vote unfolded under tight security, with nearly 100,000 police and military personnel deployed nationwide to protect polling stations.
The election comes amid an ongoing “internal armed conflict” declared by Noboa in early 2024, as Ecuador battles soaring violence linked to powerful drug-trafficking gangs.
SEE ALSO: How Ecuador’s Gang Dynamics Are Driving Record Homicide Rates
The country has recorded some of the highest homicide rates in Latin America, with an average of one murder per hour reported in early 2025.
Noboa’s victory gives him a full four-year mandate after first taking office in late 2023 through a snap election.
As Ecuador’s youngest-ever president, he faces mounting pressure to restore stability, improve economic conditions, and assert civilian control over national security.
Final certified results are expected in the coming days.
