Ecuador ex-President Correa's party taps Luisa Gonzalez as presidential candidate

By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO/GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (Reuters) - Revolucion Ciudadana, the political party of Ecuador's ex-President Rafael Correa, picked on Saturday former lawmaker Luisa Gonzalez as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election.

Ecuador goes to the polls on Feb. 9, at the end of a truncated term for President Daniel Noboa, who was elected in 2023 for just 18 months after his predecessor called early elections to escape impeachment.

Noboa, heir to a banana business empire, was confirmed on Friday as his party's candidate for the elections, where lawmakers will also be elected.

"No one wants four more years of the same," said Gonzalez following her selection as RC's candidate at the party convention in Guayaquil. "Today, it's time for change."

Gonzalez, 46, is a former lawyer and legislator who lost to Noboa in 2023, despite her promises to bring back the multi-million-dollar spending programs of her mentor, Correa.

RC has lost two straight presidential elections since Correa stepped down. The former president lives in Belgium and has been convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison, something he says is political persecution.

Economist and former central bank head Diego Borja will run as Gonzalez's candidate for vice president.

Since losing to Noboa, RC has become the young president's biggest opponent, arguing his plan to restore security has not been as successful as promised.

Noboa has declared a string of states of emergency amid his anti-crime efforts, allowing soldiers to patrol streets and prisons.

Violent deaths in Ecuador in 2024 fell 19% through July, compared with the year-earlier period, according to the government.

RC has also made fighting crime a key campaign promise.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito; Additional reporting by Yury Garcia in Guayaquil; Editing by Rod Nickel)