Ecuador's runoff election is pitting a socialist against a banana baron

Ecuador’s leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez took the lead in the country’s presidential election held yesterday (Aug. 20). Backed by the powerful party of Rafael Correa—the fugitive ex-president who held the apex post between 2007 and 2017—45-year-old lawmaker Gonzalez has harked back to the economic and security situation under the Correa administration, when homicide rates were far from the current record highs and poverty was a diminishing.

But she won’t slide into office without having to put up a fight. Businessman Daniel Noboa, a political outsider, is a surprise contender in second place. The 35-year-old scion of a banana empire, who hails from one of the richest families in Latin America, touts himself as “the employment president.” His proposals, include creating jobs, lowering taxes, and forging more international free trade agreements, are popular among young voters.