No candidate has received enough support to be declared the winner, in the presidential elections of Ecuador, held on Sunday
Results have shown that the far-left candidate Luisa Gonzalez, backed by fugitive former president Rafael Correa, is likely to face Daniel Noboa, the former deputy and son of tycoon Alvaro Noboa, in a runoff.
According to the results from the National Electoral Council, leftist Luisa González leads with about 33% of support, while former lawmaker Daniel Noboa came second with about 24%.
Luisa González looks set to advance to the October 15 runoff, according to the first results released by electoral authorities.
González has said that former president Rafael Correa will be her adviser if she wins the election.
Correa remains a major force in Ecuador despite being found guilty of corruption in 2020 and sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison.
One of Correa’s most vocal critics was Fernando Villavicencio, the journalist-turned-presidential candidate killed on August 9 in Quito.
Ecuadorians voted amid unprecedented violence that claimed the life of Villavicencio at the end of an electoral rally two weeks before the election.