Ecuadorians voted in a presidential election Sunday that shaped up to be a repeat of the 2023 race, when voters chose a young, conservative millionaire over the leftist protégée of the country’s most influential president this century.

A lawyer with limited political experience, Luisa González is vying for Ecuador’s presidency for a second time

Ecuador is likely to choose its next president in a runoff election later this year as early results of a first-round vote Sunday showed a tight battle between conservative President Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González.

Ecuador's presidential race will go to an April runoff if current trends in the count continue, Diana Atamaint, the head of the national electoral council said late on Sunday, as incumbent Daniel Noboa led leftist Luisa Gonzalez by less than 1% in the tally.

Daniel Noboa stunned voters when, with only a brief stint as a lawmaker and no established political machinery, he outperformed several presidential candidates in a 2023 snap election and advanced to