Business heir Daniel Noboa on Sunday won Ecuador’s presidential election, vowing to rebuild the South American country struggling with a weak economy and rising crime and violence. The 35-year-old scion of a banana empire beat leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez, who had been an ally of former President Rafael Correa. He won by drawing on his wealth and popularity with voters tired of traditional left-right political divides.
According to a near-complete count of ballots, he won with about 52 percent of the vote. His opponent had 48 percent, or about the same as she got in August’s first-round elections, which were canceled after the murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Noboa, the son of a billionaire, ran his own company after leaving college and rose through the ranks of the family conglomerate that started in growing and shipping bananas but now includes 128 businesses worldwide.
Noboa’s fresh face and lack of political experience resonated with voters. He promised to balance meeting the nation’s foreign debt obligations with boosting economic growth. He also pledged to beef up security at ports and airports, hot spots for drug smuggling. His success shows that voters want a new leader, but his inexperience could make it difficult to revive growth and negotiate with a congress he needs to control.
In a short speech from a beach hut on the Pacific coast, Noboa said he would begin working “to rebuild a country that has been gravely hit by violence, corruption, and hatred.” He promised to bring more public workers to reduce inequality and build infrastructure. He will be the youngest president in Latin America.
He will have only 17 months to govern, serving a truncated term from December until May 2025. That is the remainder of the term of outgoing President Guillermo Lasso, who called early elections to avoid impeachment for alleged embezzlement at a state company.
Ecuador’s population has swelled from 16 million to nearly 17 million in the past decade as people move from rural areas to cities for better jobs and living conditions. However, a weak economy and falling commodity prices have made many of the population struggle. Noboa’s victory could help to reverse that trend and boost exports, but it will take time, analysts say.
