Luisa González and Daniel Noboa, candidates for the elections in Ecuador.EFE / AP
Second-round candidates Daniel Noboa and Luisa González are risking the presidency in an Ecuador plagued by violence, economic crisis and a lack of control within the government. His presidency will last just a year and a half after former President Guillermo Lasso ordered death on the cross and called early elections.
On this occasion, the presidential race will be between Correismo and the economic and corporate elite. González, an ardent supporter of Rafael Correa’s government, was the favorite until the first round of voting. Noboa, an almost unknown candidate, became the protagonist with his second place and is now leading the polls, albeit by a very small margin.
Daniel Noboa
Daniel Noboa represents the National Democratic Action Movement. With 23% of the vote, he secured his participation in the second round of the presidential election, a result that many attribute to his intervention in the electoral debate, in which he emphasized non-confrontation and economic and labor development as part of their proposals to reduce violence. It also has a strong presence on social networks with a media campaign that seeks to voice the voices of the youngest.
“Our proposal is not against, our proposal is pro. It is pro-development, pro-employment, pro-security, pro-equality, pro-respect. We didn’t get involved in this game of whether you are on one side or whether you are against something, and it is thanks to this position of non-confrontation that we achieved the vote that we achieved,” he said in a television interview.
At 35, Noboa is the heir to one of the country’s biggest fortunes and the son of businessman Álvaro Noboa, who ran for the presidency of Ecuador five times. He also had a seat in the National Assembly, which was dissolved in May after Lasso’s death on the cross.
He holds a degree in administration from New York University, a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University, a degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School, and another master’s degree in political communication from George Washington University. He worked in his father’s companies and founded the event organizing company DNA Entertainment Group.
Suggestions from Daniel Noboa
Noboa believes in dialogue with different sectors. Promotes socioeconomic development and employment as axes to reduce violence. In economic matters, it seeks to protect and strengthen dollarization. He assures that in addition to tax incentives, his government will also provide credit opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses.
He has said he will isolate the most violent criminals in internal prisons at sea to protect nonviolent prisoners, and his so-called “Phoenix Plan” calls for the creation of an intelligence center to prevent crime and ensure security.
Luisa González
González emerged as the big favorite for this election campaign with a speech that promoted the return of Correismo. Under the leadership of the Citizens Revolutionary Movement and under the leadership of former President Rafael Correa, González received 33% of the vote in the first round.
He took part in a presidential election for the first time, but was a deputy for the province of Manabí before the death of the cross was declared, and held various public offices during the presidency of Rafael Correa. The former president will be his adviser from abroad after he was unable to return to the country because of an upcoming eight-year prison sentence for bribery in the Odebrecht case.
González, 45, defines himself as left-wing but opposed the decriminalization of abortion, which has been the subject of criticism. The politician holds a postgraduate degree in economics from the Complutense University of Madrid and a degree in senior management from the Institute of Higher National Studies.
Luisa González’s suggestions
As part of the Correísta program, he wants to return to the 21st century socialism that the former president spoke about. In its economic axis, it seeks to allocate at least 2.5 billion dollars of Ecuador’s international reserves for public spending and, although the law prohibits the use of these funds, it intends to reform the assembly to bring about economic changes in the country. In addition, he assures that oil production will increase
On security, the candidate promises to strengthen public forces, equip the national police and regain control of the prison system. He assures that he will have a strong hand against those who have declared war on the Ecuadorian state and seeks the restoration of the Coordination Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Cults. He also promises a reform of social security and more funding for hospital spending.
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