The Latin American Report # 645

The harsh rebuke from the electorate to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa led the head of the Carondelet Palace to reform his cabinet, somehow seeking culprits for his first major electoral defeat. The conservative leader lost all his battles the past Sunday, looking for popular validation of ambitious reform proposals, such as eliminating the prohibition on installing foreign military bases in the country, eliminating public financing for political parties, and reducing the legislative apparatus. The other major initiative was to approve the convening of a Constituent Assembly, which, by the way, was the most rejected with close to 62% of negative votes; the proposal with the greatest parity, in a way, was the one to reduce the number of assembly members, with just over 46% support.

If one considers the notable support Noboa received in the April presidential runoff, which cemented him in Carondelet after operating as an "express" president since 2023, the result has no easy explanations. This EFE article attempts to find them, but I have my differences in some points, especially regarding insecurity as a major influencing factor, because since April there hasn't been much change in this regard, if anything an acceleration of its severity. I am more inclined to accept the incidence of other factors, like the aggressive and also widely rejected fiscal adjustment plan. But, in any case, I also bet on the specific agency of the citizenry to decide on the issues they were being consulted about. The cabinet changes, for now, have involved the reshuffling of two ministers and the departure of four.

Noboa, who was born in Miami, was traveling to the United States today, apparently to do damage control in his relations with the Trump administration, with whom he is in good sync. The Kristi Noem-led Department of Homeland Security, for example, had high hopes for the reopening of the base that the United States maintained in the town of Manta until 2009. Washington had congratulated Quito on Sunday for the capture in Spain of the top leader of the country's largest and most dangerous gang, known as Los Lobos, who, according to Ecuadorian authorities, had faked his own death and undergone several cosmetic surgeries.

Mexico

In the Aztec nation, violence continues to mark the reality of many regions every day. This very Tuesday, five people died after inhaling toxic smoke in a bar in the state of Puebla, the result of an action by four vandals who arrived, set it on fire with gasoline, and shot at or blocked the entrance to prevent those inside from leaving. Furthermore, also this Tuesday, a former mayoral candidate in the municipality of San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz state, was shot dead at his home, the second case of this kind in less than a month there, according to EFE. Finally, yesterday Monday, the Attorney General's Office of the state of Campeche reported the murder of a female official from the municipality of Palizada, who had also been a mayoral candidate. The woman was traveling in her vehicle when she was attacked by hitmen.

Haiti

The gangs profiting well 👇

This is all for today’s report.