Ecuador’s President, Daniel Noboa, has officially announced his intention to run for reelection in the upcoming elections scheduled for February 9, 2025. He will represent his party, which he characterizes as a “national movement”. The party is expected to be fully operational by early April. Noboa, who became the youngest president at the age of 36, took office in late November 2023 for a term of one and a half years. He believes that more time is needed to complete the work started during his tenure. “The work is unfinished, and I think more time is needed. For that, reelection is needed. I will serve the time that one, the Constitution grants me, and two, that the people want to support,” he stated in an interview with a local newspaper and a television program.

Regarding the State of Exception, Noboa confirmed that his administration would extend the measure for an additional 30 days. He emphasized the need to “neutralize” the intermediate commanders of the armed gangs and asserted the necessity for greater control in the council of the judiciary. He suggested that these issues would be addressed through a people’s consultation, which proposes the establishment of specialized bodies in constitutional matters. This move aims to prevent “narco-terrorists” from seeking “protection actions” in small cantons.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Ecuador has scheduled a widespread consultation and a referendum for April 21. The referendum will include eleven questions on security, labor, and the functioning of the State, as well as on the Constitution.

Despite the challenges, Noboa affirmed that the military has achieved control of the prisons and that the number of violent deaths has decreased. He expressed optimism, stating, “We have managed to lower the number of violent deaths by the day, and the people feel hope”. This comes after the president declared a State of Emergency following several incidents in various prisons across the country, including the kidnapping and murder of officials and the escape of one of the country’s main criminal bosses, Jose Macias Villamar, alias ‘Fito’.