Incumbent President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa has won the country’s presidential election on Sunday.
With over ninety percent of the votes counted, the National Election Council said Noboa had an unassailable 12-point lead over his leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez.
Official results showed Noboa with 56 percent of the vote, against Gonzalez’s 44 percent, a far bigger winning margin than expected after a virtual tie in the first round.
Speaking to supporters in his hometown of Olon, the 37-year-old president appreciated Ecuadorians, noting that he will not relent in addressing the rampant violence caused by drug cartels.
On the eve of the ballot, Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in the capital Quito and several provinces, underscoring the tense state of affairs.
Rampant bloodshed has affected the investments and tourism sectors of the country, fueling economic crises and swelling the ranks of Ecuador’s poor to 28 percent of the population.