Daniel Noboa, a 35-year-old businessman, has emerged as Ecuador’s youngest president in history, securing victory in Sunday’s election with 52.3% of the vote, surpassing his rival Luisa González, who conceded defeat and offered her congratulations.
Daniel Noboa, a member of the National Democratic Action party, is the son of Álvaro Noboa, a five-time unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Noboa’s term in office will be brief, lasting until May 2025. This is due to the early election triggered when outgoing President Guillermo Lasso dissolved parliament amid an impeachment trial.
However, he has the option to run again for the presidential term from 2025 to 2029.
In the wake of his victory in the second round of voting, Daniel Noboa expressed his commitment to working towards the reconstruction of Ecuador, a nation grappling with challenges like violence, corruption, and division.
Ecuador has faced a surge in gang-related violence in recent years, and the election campaign was overshadowed by the assassination of candidate Fernando Villavicencio in August, a journalist known for his anti-corruption activism.
Violent crime has also witnessed a significant increase, and Ecuador has become a focal point for drug gangs due to its strategic location between Colombia and Peru, the world’s top two cocaine producers.
Noboa has proposed innovative measures to address these issues, including the transfer of some of Ecuador’s most hardened criminals to prison ships off the country’s coast in an effort to disrupt deadly gang warfare within prisons.
He also aims to enhance security at Ecuador’s borders and ports to intercept crucial drug-trafficking routes, suggesting the installation of scanners to improve cocaine seizure rates.
Furthermore, he has sought to appeal to voters by pledging to create more employment opportunities for the people of Ecuador.
Source-BBC
