Ecuador’s Noboa vows to tackle violence, boost economy and create jobs in second term
QUITO AP Ecuador s President Daniel Noboa was officially sworn in on Saturday following his reelection for another four-year term early this year Noboa who wore a presidential sash over his chest was sworn in alongside his Vice President Mar a Jos Pinto and their terms will run until May The young president who has become known for his fight against a surge of armed group violence in the South American country pledged in his inauguration speech to continue to tackle corruption drug trafficking and violent crime He also swore to implement reforms and explained he would lay a solid foundation for job creation and capital by working with Ecuador s private sector We are at the doorstep of four years of progress he declared The ceremony in the capital Quito was attended by U S Healthcare Secretary Robert Kennedy Colombia s President Gustavo Petro Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and countless other international guests and delegates Noboa was first elected as president in November aged with little political experience He unexpectedly entered the race and was elected to complete the term of his predecessor Guillermo Lasso who had dissolved the Assembly and stepped down to avoid impeachment Noboa was re-elected on April in a run-off against left-wing candidate Luisa Gonz lez who has made repeated charges of electoral fraud Her Citizen Revolution party lead by former president Rafael Correa boycotted Saturday s ceremony even though Gonz lez alleges were rejected by Ecuador s electoral authority and both national and international observers Violence and high unemployment levels remain the biggest challenges facing the president and his National Democratic Action ADN party which also was able to hold the majority in the country s congress through a number of political alliances Maintaining that majority will be crucial for Noboa in pushing through his agenda including a crime-fighting bill marked as urgent for its economic implications The proposal has already drawn criticism from the opposition Juan Francisco Camino a professor at the Equinoctial Technological University noted Noboa s tight majority could easily shift the balance Just one lost vote from his allies could paralyze his plans Camino noted in an interview Required whether Noboa might change his governing approach in this new term Camino predicted continuity especially with the administration s focus on using state power to fight crime which he noted sells legitimacy Ecuador is one of the majority of dangerous countries in the region with around violent deaths by the end of and crime continuing to rise in Camino stressed that Noboa must look beyond defense and focus on rebuilding Ecuador s social fabric especially in areas like jobs healthcare and teaching Others disclosed it was pivotal to focus on root causes of violence like lack of opportunities which often pushes young people to join criminal groups Only of Ecuadorians had full-time jobs as of late last year with the rest working in the informal business sector Source
