Nearshore Americas

Ecuador Elects Daniel Noboa, Its Youngest President Ever

Ecuador has elected Daniel Noboa, 35, as its president in a runoff vote after months of delay due to the killing of a candidate.

Noboa is the youngest president in Ecuador’s history, and his victory is seen as a sign that Ecuadorians are eager for change.

Noboa campaigned on a platform of economic growth, job creation and security. He has promised to crack down on drug trafficking and gang violence.

Noboa will serve as the caretaker president of Ecuador for the remaining 18 months of President Guillermo Lasso‘s term. Lasso dissolved the legislature in May to avoid being impeached.

Noboa’s victory comes at a time when Ecuador finds itself plagued by economic problems, corruption and crime.

Ecuador, which shares borders with Colombia and Peru, has become a transit point for traffickers moving drugs to the United States and Europe. Plus, its economy is struggling.

To make matters more challenging for the president-elect, he will  have to work with a divided legislature.

In August 2023, Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential candidate who was running on promises to crack down on links between criminals and politicians, was killed in Quito. Seven people suspected of carrying out the assassination were found dead in prison earlier this month, fueling worries that crime syndicates could be trying to control the country.

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Daniel Noboa is the son of banana magnate Álvaro Noboa, who ran for president several times and lost. Daniel founded an event promotion company at the age of 18, studied at Harvard and returned to his home country to run the family business.

Though a sucessful business man, the president-elect will now face the challenge of running an entire country.

Narayan Ammachchi

News Editor for Nearshore Americas, Narayan Ammachchi is a career journalist with a decade of experience in politics and international business. He works out of his base in the Indian Silicon City of Bangalore.

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