Quito, Ecuador

Daniel Noboa, business heir, and now Ecuador's youngest-ever president-elect has vowed to "restore peace" to the drug gang war-ravaged South American country. 

Advertisment

"Tomorrow we start work for this new Ecuador, we start working to rebuild a country seriously battered by violence, by corruption and by hate," he told supporters during an address in the seaside town of Olon.

"From tomorrow Daniel Noboa starts work as your new president," added the president-elect.

A surprise qualifier for the run-off, Noboa is a banana empire heir with a significant challenge in front of him. Here's everything you need to know about Ecuador's new president-elect.

Advertisment

Who is Daniel Noboa?

On Sunday (October 15th) Noboa, a businessman, fulfilled a long-held family ambition and was elected the youngest president-elect in modern Ecuadoran history.

He belongs to the brand-new National Democratic Action Alliance, an alliance which incorporates parties from both the left and the right political spectrums. The party whose economic philosophy is liberalism won the third-highest number of seats in the August legislative elections.

Advertisment

Also read | President-elect Noboa vows to 'restore peace' to violence-plagued Ecuador

The young, 35-year-old leader edged out socialist rival Luisa Gonzalez and won the election with about 52 per cent of the votes.

He is the son of Ecuador's richest man, banana tycoon Alvaro Noboa, who unsuccessfully attempted to become Ecuador's president but lost five times. He is married and has two children.

The president-elect rose out of obscurity and entered the limelight for wearing a bulletproof vest to a televised presidential debate. At the debate, which took place shortly after the broad daylight assassination of Noboa, he claimed to have received death threats.

He will hold the president's post for only around 17 months — from December this year until May 2025 — and will face the ballot in 2025. Under Ecuador's laws, he can run again for president for the 2025-29 term and the one after that. 

Education, career and previous political experience

Daniel Noboa, as per AFP, has studied business administration at New York University and has a public administration degree from Harvard's Kennedy School. 

He is a little-known politician with only a short two-year political stint to his name — a member of the National Assembly of Ecuador between 2021 and 2023. 

Also read | Ecuador election: Leftist Luisa Gonzalez, businessman Noboa set to go to second round

Before entering politics, he established himself as a businessman, founding his own company at the age of 18 — DNA Entertainment Group, an event organising company.

He also served as the Shipping Director and commercial and logistics director of Noboa Corporation between 2010 and 2018.

Campaign promises

On Sunday, addressing his supporters, Noboa said that he intends to "give progress to a country... that has all the elements to be a global example."

As per AFP, Noboa, who identifies as "centre-left" embraces neoliberal economic thinking and has vowed to prioritise job creation through tax incentives and credit facilities to help small businesses.

He has also proposed the introduction of a jury system to judge corruption cases. Corruption, as per AFP, happens to be one of the biggest challenges faced by Ecuador. 

To address yet another enormous challenge: drug trafficking, he has pledged to beef up security at ports and airports, proven hot spots for drug smuggling.

Noboa also wants to militarise the nation's borders and create an offshore prison on barges or ships that will be used to isolate violent inmates.

Furthermore, Noboa has said that he will balance meeting Ecuador's foreign debt obligations with the needs of the population.

Campaign strategy

Daniel Noboa, as per Reuters, made a special point to woo young voters — holding events at universities toward the end of the campaign.

This year, as per AFP estimates, 13 million Ecuadoreans between the ages of 18 and 29 were obliged to vote. 

He also made extensive use of social media, in fact, he ran much of his campaign online. 

At one time, thanks to viral videos of "Noboas" posted by citizens, his name even emerged as a trend on social media platforms like X and TikTok. Noboas is the term coined for thousands of human-sized cardboard cutouts of the leader which started showing up at house parties, on the beach or even riding the bus. 

Rivals left behind

With more than 90 per cent of the votes counted, Daniel Noboa emerged as the victor winning over 52 per cent of the votes. 

His leftist adversary Luisa Gonzalez won about 48 per cent of the votes.

However, polls as per Reuters showed the contest would be much closer; several put Noboa and Gonzalez the two leading candidates within the margin of error of each other.

Calling on the president-elect to fulfil his promises to students and the elderly, Gonzalez congratulated Noboa him on his victory, said: "Daniel Noboa, our profound congratulations, because this is democracy."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.