Ecuador Re-Elects President Daniel Noboa Amid Turmoil

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in seven provinces, including the capital Quito, on the eve of a presidential election due to a surge in drug-linked violence. The measure suspends certain civil liberties, including freedom of assembly and imposes a nightly curfew in some areas. The election pits Noboa against leftist opponent Luisa Gonzalez, with crime being a key issue. Noboa's "iron fist" policies have had mixed success in combating drug gangs, and a win by Gonzalez would likely signal a shift to the left and cooler relations with the US.

Daniel Noboa, the president of Ecuador, was re-elected in a runoff on Sunday, receiving about 55.8% of the vote, amid national turmoil and a spike in crime. Noboa, a right-wing leader and heir to a banana trade fortune, defeated Luisa González of the leftist Citizen Revolution Movement. Over 13 million people were eligible to vote in the election, where voting is compulsory. Noboa initially won a 16-month presidency in a 2023 snap election and is known for being tough on crime.

Ecuador has re-elected President Daniel Noboa, a 37-year-old conservative millionaire, with 55.8% of the vote. Noboa introduced a heavy-handed approach to tackling gang crime during his first term, which has been marred by reports of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests. His opponent, Luisa Gonzalez, has rejected the result, alleging "grotesque" electoral fraud. The election was closely watched due to Ecuador's high crime rate and the presence of powerful Mexican drug cartels on its soil. Noboa's win gives him four more years to continue his crime-fighting strategies, which have been divisive but appear to have resonated with voters, as the homicide rate decreased under his watch, albeit remaining high.