Right-wing Novoa defeated left-wing candidate Luisa Gonzalez amid allegations of election fraud.
Daniel Novore, Ecuador’s youngest president in history and the heir to the fortunes listed on the well-known banana, was sworn in his first term, pledged to strengthen the government’s fight against powerful drug gangs while reviving the struggling economy.
At a ceremony in Quito’s parliament on Saturday, the right-wing president covered the president’s sash over his shoulder before the two raised their hands clenched in the iconic gesture of unity.
The 37-year-old Novoa won the April election and secured a new term after completing the final 18 months of his predecessor’s tenure, beating left-wing candidate Luisa Gonzalez despite allegations of election fraud.
Talking to lawmakers, Novore pledged to make the sudden reduction in violent crime a cornerstone of his administration.
“Progressive reductions in murders will be an unnegotiable goal,” Novore declared. “We will maintain our fight against drug trafficking, seize illegal weapons, ammunition and explosives, and exercise greater control at the country’s ports.”
Ecuador was once considered one of the most stable countries in the region, but in recent years it has faced a sharp rise in violence by leveraging strong drug cartels from Mexico, porous boundaries and weak institutions to expand its influence.
Noboa responded with militarized crackdowns, deploying its troops on the streets and tightening security with key infrastructure hubs.
The president’s security strategy has gathered comparisons with El Salvador’s controversial anti-gang actions. This has been praised by some for reducing crime, but has been criticized by rights groups over alleged mass oppression and abuse.
Novoa cited El Salvador, the US and Israel as strategic partners in Ecuador’s security overhaul.
His administration also hired Eric Prince, founder of Blackwater, a civilian military contractor, to advise Ecuadorian security forces. This raises vigilance among opposition politicians and human rights advocates, warning of the creeping and lack of surveillance of militarization.
Noboa claims a 15% decrease in violent deaths in 2024, but government figures show that 58% of killings in the first four months of 2025 have increased compared to the same period last year, with 3,094 recorded deaths.
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