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

People on the streets of Ecuador can rattle off the places they have encountered criminals: On the bus, at the park, on the sidewalk, in a cab, by the mall, next to a restaurant.

Ecuadorians headed to the polls on Sunday, with increased security precautions, to elect a new president and vice president, as well as national and regional assembly members. Voting began at 7 am local time (1200GMT) across 4,349 centers in the country’s 24 provinces, with over 13 million eligible voters participating.

Polls opened Sunday across Ecuador in a presidential election amid a rise in cartel turf wars and soaring murder rates. The frontrunners include the incumbent, a conservative young millionaire,

Ecuador’s presidential election is shaping up to be a repeat of the 2023 race when voters chose a conservative young millionaire over the leftist protégé of the country’s most influential president th

President Daniel Noboa and his opponent Luisa González are the clear front-runners in Sunday's election in Ecuador. The race has shaped up to be a repeat of the 2023 election, when voters chose young,

Incumbent president Daniel Noboa, one of the youngest leaders in the world, has promised to continue to crack down on drug trade crime. He is considered the favorite in Sunday's vote.