🇪🇨❗️Polls Close in Ecuador’s Razor-Tight Presidential Runoff – Noboa Declared Winner
➡️ Noboa’s Victory: Incumbent President Daniel Noboa (37) secured reelection with 55.8% of votes, defeating leftist rival Luisa González (44.1%) in a runoff dominated by voter concerns over drug violence and economic crisis.
➡️ Fraud Allegations: González rejected the results, calling it “the worst electoral fraud in Ecuador’s history” and demanded a recount. Her mentor, exiled ex-President Rafael Correa, echoed claims of irregularities, though international observers dismissed fraud allegations.
➡️ Security Mandate: Noboa’s “iron fist” policies—including declaring an “internal armed conflict,” deploying troops, and building high-security prisons—drove his campaign. Homicides dropped from 46.18 to 38.76 per 100,000 under his rule, but Ecuador remains Latin America’s most violent nation.
➡️ Controversies:
- Noboa’s alliance with Erik Prince (Blackwater founder) and plans for U.S. military bases sparked backlash.
- A 60-day state of emergency was imposed pre-election, citing gang threats.
- Critics accuse his tactics of human rights abuses and authoritarianism.
➡️ Economic Turmoil: Voters also weighed 14-hour daily blackouts, 28% poverty, and a 1.5% GDP contraction. González promised Correa-era social programs, while Noboa pushed austerity.
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