35-year-old businessman, Daniel Noboa, has become the youngest president in Ecuador’s history, after winning the country’s election.
The centrist candidate, Noboa, led his left-leaning opponent, Luisa González, by four percentage points with more than 97% of the ballots collected.
Noboa promised to “give back a smile and peace to the country” in his victory address.
Noboa, while being flanked by heavily armed troops, ascended the platform and said, “tomorrow we will start working for a new Ecuador, to reconstruct a country battered by violence, by corruption, and hate.”
During his campaign, Mr. Noboa pledged to take on the nation’s strong gangs, many of which operate from prison, by putting the most experienced offenders on prison ships off the coast of Ecuador.
Additionally, he has stated that he will increase security at Ecuador’s ports and borders in order to obstruct major drug trafficking routes.
He has pledged to boost job prospects for young Ecuadorians, particularly by establishing incentives for domestic and international businesses, in order to revive the economy from its post-pandemic downturn.
Many in Ecuador saw his victory as a rejection of Rafael Correa and the Citizen Revolution Movement by the people.
Although Mr. Correa, who presided over Ecuador from 2007 to 2017 and was later found guilty of misdemeanour campaign finance charges, now lives in exile in Belgium, he still has a major impact on Ecuadorian politics.
The candidate Mr. Correa personally selected, Luisa González, conceded loss, but she ended on a positive note, saying, “To those who didn’t vote for us, I congratulate you because your candidate won, and as Ecuadoreans, I embrace them.”
The dissolution of parliament by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso prompted an early election, despite the fact that presidential tenure in Ecuador is typically four years long.
The term that Mr. Lasso started will expire in May 2025, and Mr. Noboa will complete it. After that, he may run for a second term.
Supporters of the young businessman took to the streets to celebrate his win.
“We need new blood and not the old politics that have done us so much harm,” a 23-year-old student said, “Our president should waste no time and work very hard to put the brakes on insecurity.”
Although Noboa ran for office as an alternative to more seasoned politicians, opponents point out that he is a member of one of Ecuador’s most influential families, as the young Noboa is the heir and son of banana tycoon Lvaro Noboa, who unsuccessfully ran for president five times.
Analysts note that Noboa, who has no political experience, would have a difficult time during his brief tenure in government trying to address Ecuador’s security issues and its weak economy.
Between 2018 and 2022, Ecuador’s murder rate doubled, and polls indicated that voters’ top concerns heading into the election were security and law and order.
Unprecedented levels of violence during the election campaign resulted in Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates, being killed only days before the first round of voting in August.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
EXCERPT: He promised to improve Ecuador’s security to block major drug trafficking routes.
35-year-old businessman, Daniel Noboa, has become the youngest president in Ecuador’s history, after winning the country’s election.
The centrist candidate, Noboa, led his left-leaning opponent, Luisa González, by four percentage points with more than 97% of the ballots collected.
Noboa promised to “give back a smile and peace to the country” in his victory address.
Noboa, while being flanked by heavily armed troops, ascended the platform and said, “tomorrow we will start working for a new Ecuador, to reconstruct a country battered by violence, by corruption, and hate.”
During his campaign, Mr. Noboa pledged to take on the nation’s strong gangs, many of which operate from prison, by putting the most experienced offenders on prison ships off the coast of Ecuador.
Additionally, he has stated that he will increase security at Ecuador’s ports and borders in order to obstruct major drug trafficking routes.
He has pledged to boost job prospects for young Ecuadorians, particularly by establishing incentives for domestic and international businesses, in order to revive the economy from its post-pandemic downturn.
Many in Ecuador saw his victory as a rejection of Rafael Correa and the Citizen Revolution Movement by the people.
Although Mr. Correa, who presided over Ecuador from 2007 to 2017 and was later found guilty of misdemeanour campaign finance charges, now lives in exile in Belgium, he still has a major impact on Ecuadorian politics.
The candidate Mr. Correa personally selected, Luisa González, conceded loss, but she ended on a positive note, saying, “To those who didn’t vote for us, I congratulate you because your candidate won, and as Ecuadoreans, I embrace them.”
The dissolution of parliament by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso prompted an early election, despite the fact that presidential tenure in Ecuador is typically four years long.
The term that Mr. Lasso started will expire in May 2025, and Mr. Noboa will complete it. After that, he may run for a second term.
Supporters of the young businessman took to the streets to celebrate his win.
“We need new blood and not the old politics that have done us so much harm,” a 23-year-old student said, “Our president should waste no time and work very hard to put the brakes on insecurity.”
Although Noboa ran for office as an alternative to more seasoned politicians, opponents point out that he is a member of one of Ecuador’s most influential families, as the young Noboa is the heir and son of banana tycoon Lvaro Noboa, who unsuccessfully ran for president five times.
Analysts note that Noboa, who has no political experience, would have a difficult time during his brief tenure in government trying to address Ecuador’s security issues and its weak economy.
Between 2018 and 2022, Ecuador’s murder rate doubled, and polls indicated that voters’ top concerns heading into the election were security and law and order.
Unprecedented levels of violence during the election campaign resulted in Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates, being killed only days before the first round of voting in August.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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