Daniel Noboa Azín, of the National Democratic Alliance, has become the new President of Ecuador after winning the second round held this Sunday. The new president will govern until May 2025, as he will complete the period that Guillermo Lasso leaves unfinished. At 35 years old, he will be the youngest head of state in the country’s history.
In the extraordinary runoff, Noboa Azín defeated the candidate Luisa González, from the Citizen Revolution and who was Correismo’s bet to return to power. With this defeat, the movement of former president Rafael Correa loses a presidential election for the second time.
The president-elect is a member of one of the most prosperous families in Ecuador. He is the son of businessman and politician Álvaro Noboa Pontón, who ran for the Presidency five times. His mother is Dr. Annabella Azín, who played a leading role in the young politician’s campaign. With Daniel’s victory, the family arrives at Carondelet.
He studied Business Administration at the NYU Stern School of Business; She also obtained a degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a master’s degree in Governance and Political Communication from George Washington University.
The presidential candidate Daniel Noboa, of the National Democratic Action Movement, arrives in Carondelet at the age of 35 (AP photo/Martín Mejía)
His career in electoral politics took him to the Ecuadorian Congress in the last elections in 2021. He was then elected as a legislator for the province of Santa Elena and chaired the Economic Development Commission in Parliament. According to data from his official website, “his management accounted for 19.2% of the laws approved by the National Assembly, 50% more laws approved than the previous period.”
But Daniel Noboa has not only ventured into politics. From an early age, he followed in his father’s footsteps as a businessman, dedicated to the banana sector. Although his first company, founded when he was 18 years old, was dedicated to organizing events. Between 2010 until June 2018, he was part of Corporación Noboa, his father’s company, where he served as shipping director and commercial and logistics director.
Noboa surprised the Ecuadorians by winning a place in the runoff in the first round held on August 20. Since then she led the vote preference in the polls and this October 15, since the beginning of the transmission of official data she surpassed the candidate González. In an interview with Primicias a few days before the runoff, she announced that, if she wins, she will seek re-election in the 2025 general elections.
Together with his family, he received the election results at his beach house in Olón, 184 kilometers from Guayaquil, on the Ecuadorian coast.
The proposals
Daniel Noboa is the youngest president to be elected in Ecuador (REUTERS/Karen Toro)
According to an analysis by the Ecuador Decide platform, from the FARO group, Noboa proposes training and resources so that the judicial system and security forces can confront and prevent cybercrimes, in addition to transparency and accountability measures, to establish regulations that serve to protect personal data, with the purpose of preventing security breaches and guaranteeing respect for the privacy of citizens.
To confront the prison crisis, Noboa’s plan focuses on accelerating judicial procedures and guaranteeing the right to a quick and fair trial, and investing in infrastructure to improve conditions in penitentiary centers, guaranteeing safety, hygiene and respect. to human rights.
Along with these proposals, Noboa also indicates the need to create employment opportunities, improve the quality of education and access to basic services. According to the candidate, through the reduction of poverty and inequality, it is hoped to reduce the risk factors that lead to violence.
Lavinia Valbonesi, 25, is the wife of Daniel Noboa, and the new first lady of Ecuador (@laviniavalbonesi_)
Noboa’s running mate is Verónica Abad, originally from Cuenca and who participated in the last sectional elections for the Mayor of that city for the Amigo movement. The candidate defines herself as a politician and businesswoman. The runoff is expected to be held in October of this year.
Noboa has married twice, has two children and is expecting a third. His first wife denounced in an opinion column, published in 2020, some problems regarding the shared custody of his first daughter with the new president. His current wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, 25, is a nutritionist and influencer, and future first lady.
