Leftist Gonzalez slightly ahead in Ecuador presidential race, polls say

By Alexandra Valencia

Leftist Luisa Gonzalez is narrowly leading incumbent President Daniel Noboa in two polls ahead of an April 13 run-off race for the presidency of Ecuador, surveys showed on Monday, after Noboa barely notched a win in the first round.

Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, had 51.4% of voting intention in a Negocios & Estrategias poll of some 3,000 voters conducted between March 24 and March 26 with a margin of error of 1.8%.

She was followed by Noboa with 48.6%, putting the two in a technical tie.

She was also leading a poll by Pedro Cango, conducted between March 25 and March 30, with 51.9% of voting intention compared to Noboa's 48.1%. That poll surveyed over 5,400 Ecuadoreans and had a margin of error of 1.5%.

Noboa, the 37-year-old heir to a family banana business, took office in November 2023 to finish the truncated term of predecessor Guillermo Lasso, who had dissolved Congress in order to avoid a vote to remove him from office.

Noboa beat Gonzalez, 47, by less than 1% - under 17,000 votes - in February's first round presidential vote.

"Every little bit counts and it wouldn't be surprising if we get to election day with a quite narrow gap," Negocios & Estrategias director Ivan Sierra told Reuters.

"There is still room for what candidates may have in store, and there is also room for mistakes."

Both polls were authorized by the Andean country's National Electoral Council (CNE).