Left-wing candidate Luisa Gonzalez, runner-up to ex-president Rafael Correa in exile, emerged victorious in the first round of the presidential election in Ecuador on Sunday, August 20, after an extraordinary campaign marked by the assassination of one of the favorites of the poll and the violence of the “narcos” rampant in the country.

Ms. Gonzalez will face in the second round, on October 15, Daniel Noboa, right-wing candidate and unexpected challenger of this anticipated presidential election, aiming to find a successor to the unpopular outgoing conservative president, Guillermo Lasso. Ms. Gonzalez obtained 33% of the votes and Daniel Noboa accumulated 24% of the votes, according to the results of the National Electoral Council (CNE) relating to 83% of the ballots counted.

Journalist Christian Zurita, who replaced at short notice the centrist candidate assassinated last week, Fernando Villavicencio, is in third position with 16% of the vote. Jan Topic, a former member of the French Foreign Legion with a tough rhetoric against criminal groups, comes fourth (14%), followed by ex-vice president Otto Sonnenholzner (7%) and indigenous candidate Yaku Perez (3.8%). ).

The ballot took place eleven days after the death in Quito, under the bullets of a commando of Colombian hitmen, of the centrist candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a 59-year-old former journalist and one of the favorites of the ballot. With his friend and colleague Zurita, they had uncovered resounding corruption scandals in recent years, including the investigation that led to the conviction of Rafael Correa to eight years in prison.

Some 82% of the 13.4 million voters went to the polls, according to the CNE, which hailed an uneventful ballot, just marked by “difficulties” quickly overcome for Internet voting from abroad. Ecuadorians voted to elect their president, but also their vice-president and the 137 deputies of the National Assembly.

Contaminated by drug trafficking from Colombia

When the result was announced, Ms. Gonzalez celebrated a “great triumph”. “We are making history,” proclaimed the long-time poll favorite, predicting “a great second definitive victory” on October 15.

“More than ever, let’s all continue together!” declared his opponent Mr. Noboa, assuring that “the youth had chosen him”. A supporter of the strong method against gangs, the youngest of the election (35 years old) is the son of one of the richest men in the country, rather liberal and resolute opponent of ex-president Rafael Correa. The latter was elected in 2007 against Alvaro Noboa, Daniel’s father. Noboa father is a wealthy businessman, who has built an empire around banana exports, but also a controversial figure, accused in particular of tax evasion.

Record homicide rate, massacres between rival gangs in prisons… Until recently, mainly known for its bananas, shrimps and the emblematic Galapagos Islands, Ecuador has been contaminated in recent years by drug trafficking from from Colombia and Peru, organized by the Mexican cartels.

To this violence is added an institutional crisis depriving the country of a National Assembly for three months after the decision of President Guillermo Lasso to call for these early general elections to avoid his dismissal on the background of accusations of corruption.

On Sunday, Ecuadorians also voted in a referendum on whether or not to continue oil exploitation in the Amazonian forest of Yasuni (northeast), indigenous land and unique biodiversity reserve. A “historic” consultation in the eyes of environmental and climate activists, while Amazonian oil is the country’s leading export product and major source of state funding.

Still according to the first trends on Sunday evening, 58% of voters were in favor of suspending production.