Entrepreneur Daniel Noboa won the presidential elections in Ecuador on Sunday. After more than 90 percent of the votes had been counted, he was at more than 52 percent, compared to about 48 percent for his left-wing opponent Luisa González. She congratulated him on his victory. Reuters reports this.
The 35-year-old Noboa, who has pledged a tough approach to rising crime violence in the South American country, is the heir to a banana empire. His father, Álvaro Noboa, is the richest man in Ecuador and ran unsuccessfully for president five times.
The politically inexperienced Noboa, who unexpectedly made it to the second round of presidential elections, has promised to improve the weak Ecuadorian economy and create jobs for young people. He also wants to lock up dangerous criminals on prison ships in the country that has been plagued by narco violence for several years.
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Severely damaged
“Tomorrow we start working for this new Ecuador, we start working to rebuild a country seriously damaged by violence, corruption and hatred,” Noboa told his supporters in the seaside resort of Olon.
The presidential election campaign was overshadowed by the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio in August. In the first round of elections that month, in which none of the candidates obtained a majority, Noboa received significantly fewer votes with 23 percent than González, who then received 34 percent. Journalist Christian Zurita, who replaced Villavicencio, achieved 16 percent at the time.
Noboa completes President Guillermo Lasso’s term, which runs until May 2025. Lasso cut short his term when he dissolved the country’s National Assembly in May after lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against him over alleged irregularities surrounding a state-owned company contract. Noboa can then stand for election for a full term.