Incumbent Daniel Noboa was leading comfortably in Ecuador’s presidential race on Sunday, with 56% of the valid votes counted. Noboa leads leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez by 12 points.

Incumbent Noboa, who has been president for just over 16 months, faced leftist Gonzalez, whom he beat in a 2023 race to become Ecuador’s leader.

More than 13 million people are eligible to vote, with both candidates urging observers to be vigilant due to concerns of election fraud.

Noboa, of the National Democratic Action party, finished 16,746 votes ahead of his rival in the first round in February. He has essentially stayed on in a caretaker role since 2023.

Voters are primarily worried about the violence and the rise in crime tied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-noboa-closes-in-on-victory-in-presidential-race/a-72231689?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf