Ecuador - October 2023

Daniel Noboa, a right-of-centre entrepreneur running for the National Democratic Action coalition (Accion Democratica Nacional, ADN), was elected president on 15 October, in a run-off election. He defeated Luisa Gonzalez, a politician aligned with ‘Correismo’, a political movement that embraces former president Rafael Correa’s policies. Noboa will assume office in December and will govern for only 16 months, as the election was triggered to complete President Guillermo Lasso’s term after he dissolved Congress and called for early legislative and presidential elections.

Noboa obtained nearly 52 per cent of votes, over Gonzalez’s 48 per cent. Electoral participation was 82.3 per cent. In Ecuador, voting is mandatory for most of the population. On 16 October the Organization of American States electoral observation mission to Ecuador issued a preliminary statement recognizing citizens’ commitment to democracy, and the holding of peaceful elections amid the country’s complex security situation.

Sources: El Universo, El Pais, Swissinfo