Referendum and popular consultation 2024 in Ecuador, latest news from Daniel Noboa, news and more

The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, puts to the population’s vote this Sunday the reforms that will mark the course of his Administration, in a referendum focused on combating organized crime, attracting investment and creating jobs, which takes place less than a year after the general elections and between a serious energy crisis, with blackouts lasting up to eight hours a day. After winning last year’s extraordinary elections, Noboa had already announced his intention to hold this referendum within the first hundred days of his mandate, but will ultimately do so when he is about to complete five months in office.

If he wins referendumhe leader will gain momentum with the intention of presenting itself to the re-election us 2025 elections, but if it has a negative result, it will lose strength and it will be more difficult to repeat the electoral victory.

LOOK: 3 things that are at stake in the popular consultation promoted by Daniel Noboa that Ecuador votes on this Sunday

Some 11 questions that make up this referendum They are similar to the former president’s proposals Guilherme Lasso (2021-2023) in the plebiscite he called in February 2023 and which he lost completely, which left him in a very weak situation that a few months later led to new elections that Noboa won.

The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, checks the results of a police and military operation in the Socio Housing neighborhood of Guayaquil, on March 26, 2024. (Photo by Gerardo MENOSCAL / AFP). (GERARDO MENOSCAL/)

The President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa receives the baton of command in the community of San Miguel Bajo in Otavalo, in the province of Imbabura, on April 6, 2024. (Photo by Eduardo Santill n/Presidência Ecuadoriana/AFP). (EDUARDO SANTILLAN/)

Popularity thermometer

Unlike the Lasso, Noboa arrives at the polls with an important cushion of popularity, which at the beginning of the year reached around 80%a level similar to that of Nayib Bukele in El Salvadorwith whom he was widely compared for his tough hand on crime and prison policy.

And although the popularity Noboa has soared since January with the declaration of “internal armed conflict” to combat criminal gangs, it remains to be seen how the energy crisis that broke out this week influenced its acceptance, with blackouts of up to eight hours a day.

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Also in recent weeks Violence by criminal gangs has increasedwhich in recent years have led Ecuador to be one of the countries with the most homicides per capita in Latin America, with 45 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

Ecuadorian soldiers mobilize logistical material to carry out the referendum and popular consultation. (EFE/ José Jácome). (José Jácome/)

Two mayors murdered in three days

This week alone, two mayors were shot dead of two populations in whose territories there is the presence of illegal miningone of the activities that organized crime has ventured into, in addition to drug trafficking.

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Das 11 plebiscite questionsmost are intended for provide the State with new tools to combat organized crimeas proposed that the Armed Forces can support the Police in operations against criminal gangs on a permanent basiswithout the need to issue states of exception.

Increase in violence in Ecuador. (AFP).

Likewise, we also seek that the military is responsible for controlling access to prisonsepicenter of the violence crisis, where until a few months ago gangs had internal control of prisons and had large arsenals of firearms, explosives and knives inside.

Another fundamental question is possibility of allowing extraditions of Ecuadorians required by the courts of other countries.

University students participate in a demonstration against the government of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and the referendum. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA/AFP). (RODRIGO BUENDIA/)

more severe penalties

It is also proposed increase penalties for crimes related to transnational organized crime and eliminate prison benefits for some of these types of crimes, so that those convicted under these numbers serve their entire sentence in prison.

Added to this are the proposals for create a crime of possession and carrying of weapons for the exclusive use of the Police and Armed Forces is that weapons seized from crime go immediately to equip the forcesin addition to streamlining the process of expropriation of goods of illicit origin.

Other questions of referendum they focus on establish a system of constitutional courts, accept international arbitrations in any jurisdiction to facilitate the arrival of investments and allow hourly employment contracts, with the idea of ​​boosting job creation, especially for young people.

These last two measures provoked the rejection of left-wing political formations and social organizations, as they considered them to mean the loss of national sovereignty and generate greater costs for the State and make the job market precarious.

File photo dated February 5, 2023 during Ecuador’s local elections and the referendum promoted by the Government to reform the Constitution. (EFE/ José Jácome). (José Jácome/)

Source: Elcomercio