Luisa González denounces the risk of death at two days of the second round in Ecuador

Two days in the second presidential round in Ecuador, the leftist Luisa González of the Citizen Revolution Movement publicly reported a possible threat to her physical integrity. In a video released at dawn on Friday (11), González stated that Daniel Noboa’s government ordered the abrupt replacement of his Armed Forces security team, without explanation, even in the face of ongoing investigations into alleged attacks on his life.

“I denounce with total firmness this irresponsible, reckless and deeply dangerous decision, which was deliberately taken by order of Daniel Noboa, the Minister of Defense and the head of the joint command of the Armed Forces,” said González. According to the candidate, the protection scheme had been mounted in response to previous threats, currently under analysis by the State General Prosecutor.

González required the military responsible for their security to be kept until the proclamation of the official results of the election, scheduled for this Sunday (13). “We are not talking about a favor, but about historical responsibility,” he said. “Fear is your, Lord Noboa. Hope is ours,” he concluded.

Violent precedent and high voltage scenario

The complaint lights up in the country, which lives one of the most violent periods in its recent history. In the early 2023 elections, then -candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead during a rally in Quito. Since then, more than 30 political leaders, judicial authorities and journalists have been killed. The Interior Ministry accounted for more than 1,500 homicides in the first two months of 2025 – an average of one murder per hour.

The climate of instability is also fueled by allegations of institutional arbitrariness. In a manifesto released this Friday, popular organizations and social collectives say there is “lack of democratic guarantees for the elections of April 13”. The text points to “arbitrary decisions” of the National Electoral Council (CNE), such as the ban on the use of cell phones during the vote, as, according to the movements, it impairs citizen supervision and favors misinformation.

Campaign marked by radicalization and fear

The final stretch of the campaign has been marked by the polarization and dissemination of fake news, especially by President Daniel Noboa. In his X (former Twitter) account, Noboa recently published attacks against Luisa González and the Venezuela government, both associating with drug trafficking. The statements came after criticism of the presence in the country of Erik Prince, founder of the private military company Blackwater, involved in human rights violation scandals in Iraq.

González, in turn, classified the arrival of Prince as a disrespect to the Ecuador Armed Forces. Its campaign has proposed an alternative approach to public safety, which combines expansion of the staff with social measures to prevent the recruitment of young people by criminal factions.

The second round will take place this Sunday (13), with a scenario of strong tension. Research shows a technical draw between the two candidates. More than 13.7 million Ecuadorians are able to vote. If elected, Luisa González will be the first president of the country.