Ecuador's incumbent president and a leftist lawyer again vie for the top job in a runoff election
QUITO, Ecuador — A conservative young millionaire who is Ecuador 's incumbent president and a leftist lawyer are again the choices as Ecuadorians head to the polls on Sunday in the country's second presidential runoff election in less than two years.
President Daniel Noboa and leftist challenger Luisa González have promised voters solutions to the extortions, killings, kidnappings and other crimes that became part of everyday life as Ecuador emerged from the pandemic.
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Ecuador national assembly passes gang-fighting reforms
QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's National Assembly on Saturday approved a reform backed by President Daniel Noboa to arm the government with new legal powers to confront armed groups and dismantle the drug-trafficking networks that fuel their criminal enterprises. The bill was backed by 84 of the 141 lawmakers who were present in the legislature. Forty-six lawmakers voted against it, 10 abstained and one turned in a blank vote. Noboa, 37, who began a full four-year term last month, declared an "internal armed conflict" in January 2024 against criminal gangs, just a couple of months after he was first inaugurated as president. Since declaring the campaign against gangs, Noboa has issued emergency decrees to put military boots on the ground alongside police, significantly ramping up security forces. He has also overseen an increase in prison sentences for drug-related crimes and is pursuing closer collaboration with the United States and other nations for intelligence sharing and resources. The new legal framework gives Noboa more freedom to redirect resources toward crime-fighting measures. He will also have the power to pardon police and military personnel for their conduct in security operations. Officers under criminal investigation will also avoid pre-trial detention but will be subject to evaluations every six months, according to the approved text. The reforms as well introduce penalties of up to 30 years for fuel theft, which costs hundreds of millions of dollars for the oil industry. Authorities say this crime, along with illegal mining, has grown in recent years and is a key source of funding for criminal gangs. Assets linked to criminal groups can be directly seized by security forces, a significant shift allowing for more immediate confiscation compared to previous, often lengthy, judicial processes for asset forfeiture. Individuals who lead, belong to, or collaborate with these groups will face prison sentences of up to 30 years. The reforms also include economic incentives for sectors affected by the violence.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
As Ecuador battles gangs, lawmakers approve return of foreign military bases
Ecuador's parliament on Tuesday gave the green light for the establishment of foreign military bases in the country as it seeks international assistance in its battle against violent drug gangs. Foreign bases were outlawed in Ecuador in 2009, but President Daniel Noboa has vowed to bring them back as he pursues a crackdown on cartels blamed for turning what was once one of the region's most peaceful countries into one of its most violent. Noboa has asked US President Donald Trump for military backing and in February said he would invite "special forces" from unnamed allied countries to help. He has announced an alliance with US mercenary Erik Prince, founder of security contractor Blackwater, and said last month that Israel wants to help Ecuador with intelligence. Noboa, 37, was sworn in for a second term in May after claiming a runaway reelection victory with promises to take an "iron fist" to gangsters. Once-peaceful Ecuador averaged a killing every hour at the start of the year as cartels battled for control over cocaine routes that pass through the nation's ports. There are an estimated 40,000 gang members in Ecuador, the president has said, and about 20 gangs with links to international cartels. Noboa last year declared Ecuador to be in an internal armed conflict, empowering him to deploy the armed forces in the streets and prisons. But despite his tough-on-crime policies, Ecuador has the highest murder rate in Latin America. - 'Strategic cooperation ' - The United States had a military base in the South American country, at the fishing port of Manta, until 2009 when a constitutional prohibition entered into effect that Noboa wants overturned. With 82 votes out of 151 members, Ecuador's unicameral National Assembly with its pro-government majority on Tuesday approved a constitutional reform to allow for such bases to be brought back. "This is a decisive contribution to security... and for the return of peace to Ecuadoran territory," the parliament stated on X. In a separate statement, it said the reform had "the aim of strengthening international cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime." The measure would allow for "the recovery of national security through strategic cooperation, intelligence sharing, and technology transfer, which will strengthen the operational capacities of the state," the congress added. The Constitutional Court must now review the text of the reform, which will then be submitted to a referendum. Parliamentary backers of socialist ex-leader Rafael Correa -- on whose watch foreign bases were outlawed -- voted against the measure. sp/nn/mlr/md
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Ecuador legislature backs reform allowing foreign military bases
By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's national assembly legislature on Tuesday backed a constitutional reform that would allow the installation of foreign military bases in the South American country, part of plans by President Daniel Noboa to increase cooperation to fight drug trafficking. The proposal was supported by 82 lawmakers and must now be put to voters in a referendum on a date set by the electoral authorities.
