Ecuador Returns to the Polls

On Sunday, Ecuadorians will return to the polls for the second time in less than two years to elect a new president. Incumbent Daniel Noboa, who has governed for a mere 18 months since his predecessor Guillermo Lasso disbanded the national assembly and called snap elections in 2023, hopes to win a full term. He faces a crowded field of some 15 other candidates, most notably Luisa González, who narrowly lost to Noboa in 2023 and represents the powerful Citizen Revolution party in the legislature. In this episode, Sebastián Hurtado, President and Founder of the Quito-based political risk consultancy Prófitas returns to 35 West to sit down with Ryan C. Berg. Together, they discuss President Noboa's legacy from his abbreviated first term, including the economic and security environment facing Ecuador as the election approaches. They also discuss the implications of the election for U.S.-Ecuador relations under the second Trump administration.