by the El Reportero team
Ecuador’s two presidential candidates, Luisa González and current President Daniel Noboa, concluded their campaigns this Thursday, just days before the runoff election on Sunday, April 13. Both chose Guayaquil, in the province of Guayas, as the venue for their final campaign rallies.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE) calendar, the electoral campaign was scheduled to officially end at 11:59 p.m. this Thursday, after which the electoral silence period begins, during which the dissemination of propaganda, polls, or any content that could influence the electorate’s decision is prohibited.
Campaign closing with music and politics
Luisa González, a representative of the Citizen Revolution (RC) movement, chose to close her campaign on Guayaquil’s traditional 9 de Octubre Avenue. The event included musical performances by national artists such as Jombriel, Los Diamantes, Hellen Eu, Jhonathan Luna, and Gerardo Morán, in an event that blended entertainment and politics.
For his part, Daniel Noboa, sponsored by the National Democratic Action (ADN) movement, chose the Voltaire Paladines Polo Coliseum for his closing event. According to his team, the evening would feature Puerto Rican singers Tito El Bambino and Darell. However, this decision could spark controversy, as Ecuadorian electoral legislation—specifically, Article 330, Section 4 of the Code of Democracy—prohibits the hiring of international artists for political events during the electoral process.
Preliminary events in Quito
A day before the closing ceremony in Guayaquil, both candidates took their messages to Quito. González led a rally in the Turubamba sector, south of the capital, where he expressed his optimism: «We are going to vote with joy, with enthusiasm, and with the hope of a dignified future for all Ecuadorians.» He also emphasized his movement’s alliance with indigenous and business sectors.
Meanwhile, Noboa addressed his supporters from the Rumiñahui Coliseum. «The final battle will be this Sunday,» he declared, thanking the citizens of Quito, Pichincha, and other provinces who have supported him during his short but intense presidential term.
A historic election on the horizon
Next Sunday’s election generates great expectations. In the first round, held on February 9, both candidates obtained very close results: González obtained 44 percent of the votes (4,510,860), while Noboa achieved 44.17 percent (4,527,606), with a narrow difference of just 16,746 votes.
González, who is running with Diego Borja as her running mate, seeks to become the first woman elected by popular vote to preside over Ecuador. If she succeeds, it will mark a milestone, since although the country briefly had Rosalía Arteaga as president in 1997, her term lasted only five days and was not the result of an election.
For her part, Noboa aims to consolidate her mandate with a full four-year term. Her current administration, which began in November 2023, will conclude in May of this year, as she emerged from extraordinary elections following the activation of the constitutional «cross-death» mechanism by then-President Guillermo Lasso.
