Ecuador’s youngest elected president faces a practically impossible task
QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador ‘s youngest elected president on Monday faced the practically impossible task of reducing a terrifying, drug-driven crime wave within a greatly shortened 1 1/2 years in office. Daniel Noboa, 35, is an heir to one of Ecuador’s largest fortunes thanks to a global empire built on bananas — the country’s main crop. His voters were, among other things, frightened by the escalation of drug violence over the past three years. Killings, kidnappings, robberies and other criminal activities have become part of everyday life, leaving Ecuadorians wondering when, not if, they will be victims. The spike in violence is tied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Mexican, Colombian and Balkan cartels have set down roots in Ecuador and operate with assistance from local criminal gangs. READ: ‘We are afraid’: Violence-hit Ecuador votes under heavy security Presidential candidate and anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated in August. Since then, other politicians and political leaders have been killed or kidnapped, car bombs have exploded in multiple cities, including the capital, Quito, and inmates have rioted in prisons. Earlier this month, seven men held as suspects in Villavicencio’s slaying were killed inside prisons. To fight the crime, Noboa made proposals ranging from turning ships into floating jails to getting police more gear. But he has less than half of a regular presidential term to meaningfully address the rise in crime, which this year has already tallied more than 4,900 violent deaths. Policies that do not address social issues could have a temporary impact on crime statistics but not reduce the poverty-stricken communities where criminal organizations find soldiers, experts say. “A period of 18 months is factually short to be able to meet the campaign promise to fundamentally reduce the homicide rate and minimally solve the fundamental problem at the moment, even in democratic terms, which is insecurity,” said Jorge Vicente Paladines, a criminal-justice expert and professor at the Central University of Ecuador in Quito. With nearly all votes counted, electoral officials said Noboa had just over 52%, compared to nearly 48% for Luisa González, an ally of exiled former President Rafael Correa. González conceded defeat during a speech before supporters in which she also urged Noboa to fulfill his campaign promises. Noboa said Sunday that he will immediately begin to work to “rebuild a country that has been seriously hit by violence, corruption and hatred.” The
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