Ecuador Election: Newbie Politician Daniel Noboa Wins Runoff Election, Will Be Next President

The Ecuador elections are finally over, and a new president-elect has been declared as newbie politician Daniel Noboa, 35, becomes the country's youngest president ever, beating leftist lawyer Luisa Gonzalez to win.

According to the Associated Press, Noboa came out as the clear winner, with about 96% of the votes counted. He has so far taken 52.2% of the votes, while his opponent, Luisa Gonzalez, only has 47.8%. She has already conceded defeat during a speech before supporters on Sunday night. The defeated candidate stated that she plans to call Noboa to congratulate him.

However, as Daniel Noboa takes the presidency next year, he faces some very tough challenges ahead of him, including the rise of local drug gangs allied with Mexican drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel.

These local gangs have been responsible for the rise of violence in Ecuador and are allegedly responsible for the death of one presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, last August. Villavicencio was a vocal critic of one of the gang's leaders and has vowed to go after these drug gangs as a presidential candidate.

Villavicencio's assassination after a campaign rally spurred even more nationwide uneasiness in a country that has been experiencing a sharp rise in violence. This led to crackdowns all over Ecuador, with prisons being targeted as the drug gang leader that the politician had been criticizing was already in prison but was directing gang activities from the inside.

Daniel Noboa Promises to Rebuild Ecuador

Noboa surprised many when he qualified for Ecuador's runoff election last Sunday. However, he managed to come out on top and defeated a favorite who many saw as the possible winner.

The 35-year-old millennial has already promised to improve the economy and create jobs for young people. He also pledged to rebuild the country and house dangerous criminals on prison ships, according to Reuters.

"Tomorrow we start work for this new Ecuador, we start working to rebuild a country seriously battered by violence, by corruption, and by hate," the new president-elect of Ecuador told his supporters during a rally in the town of Olon. "From tomorrow Daniel Noboa starts work as your new president."

Despite all the challenges he is currently facing, Noboa says he is staying positive, saying, "Ecuador has all the elements needed to be a global example of progress."

Daniel Noboa's Father Tried Multiple Times to Become Ecuador's President

Daniel Noboa is the son and heir to Ecuador's richest man, Alvaro Noboa. His win is also a fulfillment of what his father failed to do five times, and that is to win the presidency.

The Noboa family is behind a massive banana empire that supplies fruits all over the world. Being part of the richest family in Ecuador, he also has his fair share of criticisms, such as being accused of tax evasion, and was also criticized for continuing to supply Russia with bananas after it invaded Ukraine.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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