INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
9 first round, pits two visions against a backdrop of crisis
forcing this showdown after a fierce 16-candidate battle
Now, each wields $1 million in public funds, campaigning until April 10 across media and billboards, banned from handouts.Violence haunts
Ecuador, with 731 murders in January 2025 alone, averaging 23.5 daily deaths
ex-President Rafael Correa, promises social investment alongside enforcement, eyeing past stability
Voters, with 82% turnout last round, crave solutions to a cocaine-fueled crime surge and economic woes
Ecuador stands at a pivotal moment, its 18 million citizens weighing security against equity in a race too close to call.
