2025 Philadelphia Tango Festival
April 30, 2025
Daniel Noboa, the 37 year old current president of Ecuador, failed to get a plurality of the votes in last Sunday’s elections. Therefore, he will have to, once again, face Luisa Gonzalez, a left of center candidate closely allied with former President Rafael Correa, in a runoff election on April 13th.
In the last few years, Ecuador has gone through tumultuous times as drug related violence has sky rocketed. Government corruption and ineptness have weakened the economy forcing thousands of Ecuadoreans to emigrate to the United States and neighboring countries
In the year and a half Mr Noboa has been in power, he has pursued policies that dealt harshly with criminals and drug related violence. And yet, while personal freedom abuses are a frequent occurrence, crime remains at levels never seen before. That might explain why Ms Gonzalez did so well.
Ms Gonzalez reminds voters of the relative peace and prosperity Ecuador enjoyed during the administration of her mentor, President Rafael Correa. However, he often abused his executive powers and had close ties with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Correa was eventually indicted and convicted on corruption charges.
Mr Noboa, an expert on social media campaigning, is trying to project the image of a “new” Ecuador. He is a law and order proponent who wants to change the economy to make it attractive to foreign investment. Stay tuned for April 13th.
