Ecuador's Choice: A New Leader Emerges

Ecuador has a new leader. Daniel Noboa won the presidential election. This happened on a Sunday. The National Electoral Council made the announcement. They said Noboa had an unassailable lead. This was with 90% of the votes counted. Noboa's victory was not a surprise. He had won a previous election against the same opponent. That was in a snap election earlier in the year. He had just over 50% of the vote then. Security was the big issue in this election. Voters wanted a leader who could tackle crime. Ecuador has seen a lot of violence lately. There have been constant blackouts too. Noboa promised to fight crime and fix the economy. He called his plan "New Ecuador. " He has declared many states of emergency. He has also deployed military units to fight gangs. He even started building a new prison. But the violence has not stopped. There have been over 1, 000 homicides this year alone. Ecuador now has the highest homicide rate in Latin America. Noboa has asked for help from other countries. He wants to work with the United States. He even proposed housing US military forces in Ecuador. He wants to lift a ban on foreign military bases. This ban was put in place in 2008. His opponent, Luisa González, had a different plan. She wanted to focus on prevention and social spending. She opposed foreign intervention. She also wanted to eliminate the agency managing the prisons. Both candidates voted on Sunday morning. Noboa was confident of his win. González promised to defend democracy. The election was not without its challenges. Criminal groups tried to influence voters. They forced some people to vote for certain candidates. They even made them send photos as proof. The electoral authorities banned photos of ballots. They warned of heavy fines for violators. The government also deployed 45, 000 troops to ensure security. This was the latest in a series of elections between these two candidates. The country is hoping for a change. It is clear that the people want a leader who can bring peace and prosperity.