Daniel Noboa was sworn in Saturday for a second time period as Ecuadoran president, promising to “save” his South American nation from narco-traffickers allied with overseas legal gangs.
The 37-year-old chief, talking after his set up ceremony on the Nationwide Meeting in capital Quito, promised a “direct confrontation with organized legal constructions.”
“There will likely be no truce in opposition to crime,” he vowed.
Noboa, who has served as president since late 2023, handily defeated leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez in elections in April, handing him a full four-year time period.
The opposition, led by exiled former president Rafael Correa, has denounced what it says was election fraud and boycotted Saturday’s inauguration ceremony.
These allegations have been dismissed by worldwide election observers.
Noboa, a rich businessman, first grew to become president of the nation of 18 million following early elections in 2023 that got here amid a wave of drug-linked violence.
Legal teams specializing in cocaine smuggling pose a problem to the federal government, as drug-related violence has given Ecuador the best murder price in South America, in accordance with the Perception Crime suppose tank.
Throughout Noboa’s first yr in workplace the murder price fell, which he attributed to his crackdown on crime.
Amongst different issues, he declared Ecuador to be in an inside armed battle, empowering him to deploy the armed forces within the streets and prisons.
Noboa touted the drug battle as a middle level of his marketing campaign. His youth and Correa’s unpopularity amongst many citizens helped energy him to re-election, analysts say.
However the battle in opposition to crime is way from over.
Between January and April, Ecuador counted 3,084 homicides, making it the bloodiest begin to any yr since data had been stored.
Noboa promised on Saturday not “to look the opposite means,” saying he would stick with it the battle in opposition to criminals “who believed they personal the nation.”
In search of to strengthen an alliance with the USA within the battle in opposition to crime, Noboa mentioned he would permit overseas forces into the nation.
He additionally mentioned not too long ago that Israel wished to “assist” Ecuador with intelligence for the anti-crime battle.
Amongst overseas dignitaries attending Noboa’s inauguration was US well being secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. representing President Donald Trump.
Colombia President Gustavo Petro and his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte had been additionally there, as had been the overseas ministers of Brazil, Bolivia and Costa Rica.