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☆ Ecuadorians head to polls for referendum as Noboa seeks backing for war on crime
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The referendum will ask 11 questions, five that will modify the Constitution if approved and six that are advisory. More than 13 million of Ecuador’s population of nearly 18 million are eligible to vote – and in Ecuador, voting is obligatory. “We require urgent reforms that allow us to protect our security,” Noboa told a military event in March. In response to the escape, the government deployed more than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces to find Fito. The referendum has met opposition among some groups who claim the matters can be dealt with in the National Assembly.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, ”, he’s, ” Noboa, John Moore, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, Adolfo Macias, Noboa, “, CNN’s Christiana Amanpour, Jorge Glas, Glas, Karen Toro Organizations: CNN, National Police, Armed Forces, Ecuadorian National Police, United Nations, Reuters, National Assembly Locations: Quito, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Ecuadorians, Guayaquil, ”, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Mexico, Mexican

☆ In a Country Awash in Violence, a Vote Will Test Its Leader’s Hard-Line Stance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ecuadoreans will vote on Sunday in a referendum that could give their center-right president greater powers to combat drug-related gang violence and also gauge how he would fare in his bid for re-election next year. President Daniel Noboa, the 36-year-old heir to a banana empire, took office in November after an election season focused on drug-related gang violence, which has surged over the past five years to levels not seen in decades. In January, he declared an “internal armed conflict” and directed the military to “neutralize” the country’s roughly two dozen gangs, which the government labeled “terrorist organizations.” The drastic move allowed soldiers to patrol the streets and prisons, many of which have come under gang control. Two weeks ago, Mr. Noboa took the extraordinary step of arresting an Ecuadorean politician facing a prison sentence who had taken refuge at the Mexican Embassy in Quito, in what experts called a violation of an international treaty on the sanctity of diplomatic posts. The move drew widespread condemnation across the region.

Persons: Ecuadoreans, Daniel Noboa, Noboa Locations: Mexican, Quito

☆ Ecuador’s raid on Mexico’s embassy shocked Latin America. Here’s why it may still pay off for Daniel Noboa
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa during his inauguration at the National Assembly in Quito on November 23, 2023. A close ideological ally of Correa, Lopez Obrador had since December allowed Glas to live at the Mexican embassy—territory that is technically off limits for local authorities. Lopez Obrador last week seemed to criticize the election that brought Noboa to power, suggesting the climate of fear created by Villavicencio’s murder had favored Noboa. President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a briefing at Palacio Nacional on March 12 in Mexico City. Hector Vivas/Getty ImagesWhile Lopez Obrador is at the sunset of his political career, Noboa is just getting started and seeks a strong platform to run for re-election next year.

Persons: “, ”, Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s, Daniel Noboa, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, Alfredo ‘ Fito ’ Macias, RODRIGO BUENDIA, Glas, Rafael Correa, Lopez Obrador, Evo Morales, Peru’s Pedro Castillo, Correa, Villavicencio’s, Santiago Orbe, ” Orbe, Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Hector Vivas, Emilio Lezama, Bukele, Latinobarometro, It’s, it’s Organizations: Bogota CNN —, Colombian, National, Getty, Ecuadorian, CNN, Palacio Nacional, International Court of Justice Locations: Bogota, America, Guyana, Quito, Mexican, Mexico, Latin America, AFP, Ecuador, Glas, Vienna, Ukraine, Mexico City, El, El Salvador

☆ Crises in Ecuador, Haiti Could Fuel Migration in 2024, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kylie MadryMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Thousands more people could be forced to leave Ecuador and Haiti in 2024 due to humanitarian crises such as intensifying violence, climate impacts and deepening poverty, the International Rescue Committee said in a report on Wednesday. "Multiple factors...will deteriorate living conditions for millions of people in Ecuador and Haiti, potentially forcing thousands to seek safety elsewhere," the IRC said. "The crises in Haiti and Ecuador are creating a ripple effect across the entire region," said IRC regional head Julio Rank Wright in a statement. "Without a functioning political system, the government will struggle to address violence and meet growing needs," the IRC said in the report. Food insecurity will likely also deepen in Haiti in 2024, the IRC said.

Persons: Kylie Madry, Julio Rank Wright, Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Eli Moreno, Ros Russell Organizations: Kylie Madry MEXICO CITY, International, El, Global, Transnational, Global Initiative Locations: Kylie Madry MEXICO, Ecuador, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Darien, Caribbean, Kenya, Mexico City, Panama City

☆ Opinion | When Chaos Erupted in Ecuador, Disinformation Followed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Iván Ulchur-Rota | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One of the most terrifying spates of violence in Ecuador’s modern history began on Jan. 7. In quick succession, two jailed gang leaders escaped, riots broke out in the country’s main prisons and bombs exploded in several cities. Watching the chaos unfold on their phones and televisions, Ecuadoreans were gripped by an unfamiliar fear. The streets of Guayaquil, the largest city, and Quito, the capital, were nearly empty as citizens were advised to stay home. As all of these frightening and very real events occurred, an overwhelming flood of disinformation on social media further disoriented the nation.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio Locations: Guayaquil, Quito, Ecuador

☆ New Ecuador president Noboa pledges reforms to reduce violence, create jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa signs first decrees to appoint ministers, at the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Carondelet) on the day of his swearing-in ceremony, in Quito, Ecuador November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro Acquire Licensing RightsQUITO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Business heir and former legislator Daniel Noboa was sworn in as Ecuador's new president on Thursday, pledging to reduce violence and create jobs via urgent legislative reforms. Noboa will serve as president for just 17 months, finishing predecessor Guillermo Lasso's term after Lasso brought forward elections to avoid likely impeachment. DEBT AND SECURITYThough most of Noboa's cabinet was sworn in later on Thursday, the young president did not appoint a minister of economy and finance, leaving the position vacant. Noboa is the son of Alvaro Noboa, a powerful banana baron billionaire who repeatedly failed to win Ecuador's presidency.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Karen Toro, Fernando Villavicencio, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso's, Lasso, Sariha Moya, Rafael Correa, Alvaro Noboa, Lavinia Valbonesi, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Carondelet, REUTERS, Rights, National Assembly, El, Social Christian Party, Citizens, Ecuador's, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, American, Noboa, Europe

☆ Ecuador's incoming president picks new finance chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Noboa, 35, has pledged to rebuild the South American country's ailing economy, create jobs and work to quell rising crime and violence largely blamed on organized crime. Moya will serve in a cabinet that the incoming president has pledged will feature an equal number of women and men. Noboa faces the challenge of a local economy that has struggled since the coronavirus pandemic, pushing thousands of Ecuadoreans to migrate. In October's run-off election, Noboa won about 52% of the vote, besting leftist adversary Luisa Gonzalez's 48% support. Reporting by Yury Garcia in Guayaquil; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Noboa, Karen Toro, Sariha Moya, Moya, Luisa Gonzalez's, Yury Garcia, Sandra Maler Organizations: Ecuadorian, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights GUAYAQUIL, Noboa, United States, Guayaquil

☆ Businessman Noboa to face economic, security hurdles as Ecuador president
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We do not anticipate the Noboa administration will be in the position to carry out deep structural reforms." Noboa is set to take office in December and complete the current administration's term through May 2025. Noboa will need to ensure some quick security wins during his first 90 days in office to appease social and political pressures, JPMorgan added. Noboa, Ecuador's youngest president in recent history, would be able to run again in the regularly scheduled 2025 contest. Noboa made a special point to woo young people, with some supporters touting his victory as a fresh start for the country's politics.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Noboa, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Ecuadorean, Goldman Sachs, Fernando Villavicencio, Alvaro, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, Rodrigo Campos, Julia Symmes Cobb, Gerry Doyle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Wall Street, JPMorgan, El, National Democratic Action, Thomson Locations: QUITO, American, Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador's

QUITO/GUAYAQUIL, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Business heir Daniel Noboa on Sunday won Ecuador's presidential election, vowing to rebuild the South American country, which is struggling with a weak economy and rising crime and violence. "From tomorrow Daniel Noboa starts work as your new president," he added. "Daniel Noboa, our profound congratulations, because this is democracy," Gonzalez told supporters in Quito, calling on Noboa to fulfill his promises to students and the elderly. [1/16]Ecuadorian presidential candidate Daniel Noboa and his wife Lavinia Valbonesi celebrate his win in the presidential election, in Santa Elena, Ecuador. Analysts have said a Noboa victory initially could be perceived as positive by investors, but longer-term outlook will depend on his cabinet appointments.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio, Alvaro, Luisa Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Lavinia Valbonesi, Santiago Arcos, Eduardo Chavez, Diana Atamaint, Correa, Guillermo Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, Yury Garcia, Tito Correa, Rodrigo Campos, Julia Symmes Cobb, Diane Craft, Bill Berkrot, Deepa Babington, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sunday, Ecuadorian, Santiago, National Democratic, Thomson Locations: QUITO, GUAYAQUIL, American, Ecuador, Olon, Quito, Santa Elena, Guayaquil, Sucumbios, Nicaragua, Russia, Belarus, Israel, Canuto, New York

☆ Ecuadoreans weigh economic, security pledges in presidential ballot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The violence, which the outgoing government blames on drug gangs, reached a crescendo during the campaign with the murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead while leaving a Quito campaign event in August. He is the son of multimillionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, who himself ran unsuccessfully for president numerous times. "So while the first reaction is positive, because he's a pro-business candidate, pro-business and pro-markets can mean two different things." Both have pledged to beef up security at ports and airports, hot spots for drug smuggling. About a quarter of the 13 million Ecuadoreans obliged to vote are between the ages of 18 and 29.

Persons: Ecuadoreans, Fernando Villavicencio, Daniel Noboa, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Alvaro Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Zulfi Ali, Ali, he's, Correa, Noboa, Alexandra Valencia, Rodrigo Campos, Julia Symmes Cobb, Diane Craft Organizations: Voters, PGIM, Correa's Citizens, National Democratic, Thomson Locations: QUITO, Quito, Guayaquil, New York

☆ Ecuador Banana Heir Daniel Noboa Hopes to Fulfill Father's Presidential Dreams
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Gonzalez won an August first round with 34%, while Noboa came a surprising second with 23%. Noboa has also promised job creation, particularly for young people, and spent significant time campaigning at universities. He would boost employment through investment in strategic sectors and vocational training for job hunters, Noboa has pledged. Noboa resigned from a management position at his family's corporation to enter politics, winning a legislature seat in 2021. Noboa, a married father of two, frequently appears in videos on social media dancing and singing or DJ-ing music at his political rallies.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Daniel Noboa, Alvaro Noboa's, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Janeth Tayo, Oliver Griffin, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO Locations: Ecuador, Guayaquil, Sangolqui, Quito

☆ Ecuador nature reserve will take years to recover after oil exit-minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A pipeline of state-owned Petroecuador is pictured as Ecuador is preparing to shut down oil production in the Yasuni Amazon reserve, in Via Auca, Orellana province, Ecuador July 28, 2023. Ecuador is preparing to shut down block 43-ITT, which is operated by state-owned Petroecuador, after a majority of Ecuadoreans voted to close the project in August. While oil wells have been closed before, Ecuador has no experience in abandoning an entire block of this size, which includes three fields and about 230 operating wells, he said. Environmentalists and some communities nearby insist that prohibiting future oil operations and other extractive industries is the only way to take care of nature and curb climate change. While some groups have demanded the immediate cessation of operations at 43-ITT, Davalos said an orderly closure was necessary.

Persons: Karen Toro, Jose Davalos, Ecuadoreans, Guillermo Lasso, Davalos, Petroecuador, Alexandra Valencia, Chizu, Oliver Griffin Organizations: REUTERS, ITT, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Via Auca, Orellana province, QUITO

☆ Ecuador Youth Choosing Gangs as Route Out of Poverty, UN Expert Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Lawlessness has soared across Ecuador since the coronavirus pandemic, something outgoing President Guillermo Lasso blames on disputes related to drug trafficking and common crime. Some 27% of Ecuadoreans live in poverty, while 10.8% live in extreme poverty on a national level, according to the government's statistics office. Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said impoverished youth were easy picking for gangs looking to recruit new members. Lasso, who brought forward elections to avoid impeachment, has repeatedly declared states of emergency in answer to outbreaks of violence. "We need a social Bukele, one that takes seriously the links between poverty and the rise in violence," he added.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Ecuadoreans, Guillermo Lasso, Olivier De Schutter, De Schutter, Lasso, Nayib Bukele, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Oliver Griffin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO, UN, United Nations, Central American Locations: Ecuador, U.S, El Salvador

☆ Ecuador youth choosing gangs as route out of poverty, UN expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Guillermo Lasso, Santiago Arcos, Ecuadoreans, Olivier De Schutter, De Schutter, Lasso, Nayib Bukele, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UN, United Nations, Central American, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Santiago, Rights QUITO, U.S, El Salvador

☆ Quito says security operations within prisons may have led to car bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Firefighters work on the remains of a car, that according to authorities was loaded with two gas tanks and later exploded when suspects set it on fire, seemingly targeting Ecuador's prison agency SNAI, in Quito, Ecuador August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro Acquire Licensing RightsQUITO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Two car explosions targeted at Ecuadorean prisons agency SNAI may have been set off in response to government security operations at prisons this week, President Guillermo Lasso and a top security official said on Thursday. "There are violent actions like that of the two cars burned in Quito last night, clearly that's a reaction to an action. The action of imposing order in the prisons, the reaction to intimidate," Lasso said at a housing event in Los Rios province. Bravo also said the Quito explosions could be related to prisoner transfers.

Persons: SNAI, Karen Toro, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, Juan Zapata, Zapata, Wagner Bravo, Bravo, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Holmes, Cynthia Osterman, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Interior, Security, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Los Rios, Cuenca

☆ Ecuador should hold violent convicts on prison boats, says presidential hopeful Noboa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Yury Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUAYAQUIL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ecuador should strengthen controls at its borders and ports to fight drug trafficking and isolate its most violent criminals on prison boats, presidential candidate Daniel Noboa said on Tuesday. Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and perennial presidential hopeful Alvaro Noboa, was a surprise second-place finisher in the weekend first round of Ecuador's presidential election, winning 23.5% of the vote. "We should reinforce the border, have a military presence at the borders, a military presence at the container ports because that's where the drugs leave from," Noboa told reporters in Guayaquil. Prison boats could take 300 to 400 each of the country's most violent criminals some 80 miles (130 km) out to sea, he said. "It is important to totally isolate the violent criminals, who from prison generate terror and plan more crime," Noboa said.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Yury Garcia, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Security, Reuters, El, Thomson Locations: GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, South America, Guayaquil, Quito

Ecuador voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to halt oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. With almost all ballots counted, 59 percent of voters sided with the young activists who spent a decade fighting for the referendum, as we wrote last week. It is widely considered to be the first time a country’s citizens voted decisively to leave oil in the ground. In a separate referendum, Ecuadoreans also voted to block mining in a biosphere reserve. The oil will keep flowing in dozens of other sites in the Ecuadorean Amazon.

Persons: Ecuadoreans, Monserrat Locations: Ecuador

Six suspects, all Colombians police say belong to criminal gangs, are being held in the murder. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, though in several cases police have said that violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Luisa Gonzalez, a protegee of Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30% of voting intention. Pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner has hardened his discourse since Villavicencio's murder, repeatedly promising that criminals who use violence will be shot by police under his government. "The new president must propose things that are real, not just words," said university student Menaly Luge, 18, who is voting for Villavicencio's Construye party.

Persons: Otto Sonnenholzner, Christian Zurita, Luisa Gonzalez, Fernando Villavicencio, Monica Barba, Rafael Correa, Correa, Daniel Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Yaku Perez, Villavicencio's, Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, William Mallard Organizations: Law, French Foreign Legion, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Quito, QUITO

☆ Shoot-out occurs near Ecuador candidate Sonnenholzner day before vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ecuador presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner of the Actuemos Coalition gives remarks as he arrives to participate in a presidential debate, in Quito, Ecuador August 13, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro Acquire Licensing RightsQUITO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A shoot-out erupted on Saturday near a restaurant where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner was eating with his family, police and the candidate said, though the violence was not directed at him. Ecuadoreans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and legislature after a campaign clouded by the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio 10 days ago. "We just suffered a shoot-out in front of the place where I was breakfasting with my family," Sonnenholzner, a pro-market candidate and former vice president said on X, previously called Twitter. Fellow presidential candidate Daniel Noboa on Thursday said there was an attack on his campaign caravan in Duran, but police later said the shooting was not directed at Noboa, son of prominent banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa.

Persons: Otto Sonnenholzner, Karen Toro, Fernando Villavicencio, we're, Sonnenholzner, Villavicencio, Daniel Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Francisco Tamariz, Tamariz, Agustin Intriago, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Cynthia Osterman, Grant McCool Organizations: Ecuador, Actuemos Coalition, REUTERS, Rights, Police, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Guayaquil, Duran, Noboa, La Libertad, Santa Elena, Pacific, Manta

☆ Ecuador's Perez to review mining contracts suspected of polluting if elected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Candidates have pledged to fight crime and improve the struggling economy, amid unemployment woes which have increased migration. Mining is a top contributor to Ecuador's economy, but Perez, an erstwhile water activist, said late on Thursday he would ask the country's comptroller to review contracts suspected of polluting, to define their continuity under Ecuadorean law. He would approach Ecuador's multilateral creditors and bondholders to ask for payment extensions because of the difficult economic and security situation, he said. Perez pledged to make agriculture - not oil, the country's top source of income - Ecuador's economic driver, creating 500,000 jobs. Better social programs and data-based security programs are also on his agenda if elected, he said.

Persons: Yaku Perez, Fernando Villavicencio, Perez, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: QUITO, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Quito

☆ How the Narcotrafficking Industry Seized Power in Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | José María León Cabrera | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The shipment had come not from Colombia or Peru, Latin America’s largest cocaine producers, but from Ecuador, the small nation sandwiched between them. Ecuador has struggled for years with drug trafficking because of its geographic location, fairly porous borders and major Pacific Ocean ports. An overcrowded, corrupt and poorly financed penal system has become a breeding ground for prison gangs that have formed alliances with powerful drug cartels from abroad. These ingredients that have helped make Ecuador an increasingly major player in the global drug trade have also unleashed an extraordinary wave of violence, transforming life for millions of everyday Ecuadoreans. Now it has drawn an international spotlight with the assassination last week of a presidential candidate just as the country prepares to vote on Sunday.

Locations: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador

☆ Factbox: Top five candidates vying for presidency of Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

She was leading voting intention with about 30% in recent polls, though no polls have been published since Villavicencio's killing. The 54-year-old widower has promised to fight crime with better social programs and data-driven security policies. OTTO SONNENHOLZNERSonnenholzner, a 40-year-old businessman and economist, has promoted himself as a young policymaker seeking to bring "peace, money and progress" to Ecuador. JAN TOPICTopic, 40, a private security and telecommunications businessman, has promised security would be his first and most important focus if elected. Already-printed ballots will show Villavicencio's name and photo, but the electoral authority has said votes will be counted for his replacement.

Persons: Yaku Perez, Henry Romero, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, LUISA GONZALEZ Lawyer Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Correa, YAKU PEREZ, Perez, Carlos, Yaku, OTTO SONNENHOLZNER Sonnenholzner, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Sonnenholzner, El, Nayib Bukele, CHRISTIAN ZURITA Zurita, Zurita, Fernando, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, French Foreign Legion, Central, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Here's, Belgium, Choco, Ukraine, Central American

☆ Ecuador presidential hopefuls close campaign clouded by violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Christian Zurita, who is replacing slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, and vice presidential candidate Andrea Gonzalez gesture after a news conference, in Guayaquil, Ecuador August 16, 2023. Candidates have pledged to fight crime and improve the struggling economy, amid sharply rising violence blamed on drug traffickers and unemployment woes, which has increased migration. Luisa Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30% of voting intention. "We are committing to have zero tolerance for corruption, for organized crime, for all structural violence." Businessmen Otto Sonnenholzner and Jan Topic have rallies planned in Guayaquil, where violence has been acute, and have both promised economic reactivation and security.

Persons: Zurita, Fernando Villavicencio, Andrea Gonzalez, Vicente Gaibor del Pino, Guillermo Lasso, Milton Oleas, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Correa, Yaku Perez, Perez, Otto Sonnenholzner, Villavicencio's, Christian Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Rights QUITO, Quito, Mexico

☆ Opinion | Ecuador’s Crime Surge Is Devastating, but There Is a Way Forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Will Freeman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Aug. 14, Pedro Briones, a congressional candidate and local political leader in Ecuador, was shot down. The killings so close to Ecuador’s general election, scheduled for Sunday, have shocked Ecuadoreans and drawn global condemnation. The slayings show that no one — not even a presidential candidate — is safe in Ecuador. Christian Zurita, an investigative journalist and a former colleague and close friend of Mr. Villavicencio, was chosen by their political party to run in his place. How the country’s criminal justice system handles the ongoing inquiries will be a litmus test for the nation.

Persons: Pedro Briones, Fernando Villavicencio, Christian Zurita, Mr, Villavicencio, Briones, Villavicencio’s Locations: Ecuador, Quito

The 12 shots fired on Wednesday evening, killing an Ecuadorean presidential candidate as he exited a campaign event, marked a dramatic turning point for a nation that a few years ago seemed an island of security in a violent region. A video of the moments just before the killing of the candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, began circulating online even before his death had been confirmed. And for many Ecuadoreans, those shots echoed with a bleak message: Their nation was forever changed. “I feel that it represents a total loss of control for the government,” said Ingrid Ríos, a political scientist in the city of Guayaquil, “and for the citizens, as well.”Ecuador, a country of 18 million on South America’s western coast, has survived authoritarian governments, financial crises, mass protests and at least one presidential kidnapping. It has never, however, been shaken by the kind of drug-related warfare that has plagued neighboring Colombia, unleashing violence that has killed thousands, corroded democracy and turned citizens against one another.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, ”, Ingrid Ríos Locations: Guayaquil, “, Ecuador, South, Colombia

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