Ecuadorians elect youngest-ever president in Banana empire scion

Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Daniel Noboa, a center-right politician and scion of a banana empire, has been voted Ecuador's next president in an election that was marred by violence and security concerns.

According to the National Electoral Council of Ecuador, Noboa of the National Democratic Action Alliance party secured 52.08% of the vote compared to the 47.92% of his rival, leftist politician Luisa Gonzalez of the Citizen Revolution Movement party.

At 35 years old, he will be the South American nation's youngest-ever leader.

"Today, we made history," Noboa said in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after he was announced as winner of the election.

"Ecuadorian families chose the new Ecuador, they chose a country with security and employment. We are pursuing a country of realities where promises do not remain on the campaign and corruption is punished."

Gonzalez, who was picked by President Guillermo Lasso to succeed him, has conceded defeat.

"To the candidate how president-elect, we offer deep congratulations because it's a democracy; we have never called for a city to be set on fire, we have never come out to shout fraud," she said.

Lasso had been elected to a second term in 2021, but resigned in May to avoid impeachment through a constitutional provision that also dissolved congress.

Sunday night's election was a runoff that followed Gonzalez and Noboa besting six other candidates in an election held in August.

"Today, we must be proud of the country we are," Lasso said in a statement after the election was called.

"We exercised our right to vote in peace, demonstrating our determination to protect democracy and advance within the legal framework. And with the same tranquility, the proclaimed results have been accepted, aware that the popular will is what defines the destiny of our country."

Noboa, who will now finish the remaining 15 months of Lasso's second presidential term, was a national assembly member until it was dissolved. He is Harvard educated, and comes from a banana empire that includes the Bonita banana brand.

According to the electoral council, more than 10 million people in the country of fewer than 18 million voted in the election, representing 82.33% of the voting public.

The high turnout occurred despite security concerns, as this year has seen several Ecuadorian politicians killed, with the most notable being the August assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Six Colombian nations were arrested for his assassination, and authorities earlier this month said all six of them were found dead in their cells.

Manta City Mayor Agustin Intriago and Puerto Lopez city mayoral candidate Omar Menendez were also killed since January.