Fiercest election in history: Ecuador decides to remain neoliberal right or back with the left

González understands the role of the state with control over the economy and greater public spending. If elected, it will recognize Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela.

The biggest challenge, win those who earn, will be to combat violence. In just five years, Ecuador became the most violent country in Latin America, with the largest number of per capita homicides (38 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants). In the early 2025, the situation worsened: on average, one crime per hour.

The second most concerned subject of Ecuadorians is the economic crisis, aggravated by an energy crisis (up to 14 hours a day of blackout) that makes the economy shrink and generates unemployment (-0.4% GDP fall in 2024; -1.5% in the last quarter).

Luisa González’s campaign accused Noboa, although promising “hardline” against crime and attracting foreign market investments with market rules, not having fulfilled the goals: the country is even more violent and with less employment.

González reaches the polls with the support of indigenous movements and a less progressive and more conservative campaign to attract barely disappointed voters and to break the ceiling of vote of Correism, a current linked to the former president.

Daniel Noboa’s strategy was to warn of the danger of Ecuador, with the election of González, ‘becoming a Venezuela.’ And lose the currency regime that has the US dollar as an official currency, although González has guaranteed it will not ‘desolar’ the economy.