President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency on Monday which was followed by a spate of kidnappings and explosions

Bolivia announced a record nine-tonne haul of the drug two days earlier

Colin Armstrong was Britain’s former honorary consul in Guayaquil and had been abducted on Saturday

According to pollsters, many voters were still undecided in the final days of the campaign

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was gunned down while leaving a campaign event in Quito last August

The Argentine captain scored on a free kick but left the game early with some discomfort

The blasts may have been aimed at Ecuador’s prisons agency, according to officials

The vote came just weeks after a presidential candidate was assassinated, as the country faces rising crime and its economy struggles

The countries head to the polls following tense electoral run-ups marked by violence and corruption allegations