Incumbent Daniel Noboa takes lead in Ecuador’s presidential run-off election

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa speaks during a ceremony to deliver equipment to police (AP/Dolores Ochoa)

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, a conservative young millionaire, held the lead in early returns from Sunday’s presidential run-off election.

Results from the National Electoral Council gave Mr Noboa 56.8% of the vote with about 55% of the ballots counted, while leftist lawyer Luisa Gonzalez had 43.2% of support in an election in which voters sought solutions to the extortions, killings, kidnappings and other crimes that became part of everyday life as the country emerged from the pandemic.