Ecuador’s President and Presidential candidate Daniel Noboa thumbs up as he talks to supporters next to his wife Lavinia Valbonesi in Olon, Santa Elena province, Ecuador on April 13, 2025. Ecuador’s election authority declared incumbent Daniel Noboa the winner of the presidential runoff vote, after the 37-year-old leader defeated his leftist rival by a bigger-than-expected margin. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP) (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

President Daniel Noboa was elected to his first full four-year term on April 13 after defeating Luisa González by a larger-than-expected 11-point margin, according to the National Electoral Council. González, who is running for the Citizens’ Revolution (RC) party and is sponsored by former President Rafael Correa, is challenging the results, claiming election fraud. Pre-election polling indicated a tight race. Noboa, 37, won a temporary presidential election in October 2023 to complete his predecessor’s term. In his reelection campaign, he focused primarily on aggressive military and police operations to combat the violent crime that has been on the rise in Ecuador in recent years, and in the run-up to the election, he distributed funds to citizens and small businesses affected by a major oil spill