Álvaro Noboa, known as the „Banana King“ and the richest man in Ecuador, has a son who has a good chance of becoming the country’s youngest president on October 15th. This runoff election is a repeat of the 2006 presidential vote, but in reverse. Back then, the left-wing newcomer Rafael Correa surprisingly came in second place behind Álvaro Noboa, but ultimately defeated him in the second round. This time, on August 20th, it was a surprise that 35-year-old Daniel Noboa received the second-highest number of votes among the eight candidates in the first round.
Stichwahl gegen Luisa González
In front of him was only Luisa González (46) from the Revolución Ciudadana Rafael Correas party. González emphasizes the former head of state as her central advisor, who is living in Belgian exile after being convicted of corruption. Noboa has managed, with some skill and a lot of money, to present himself as a sunny boy with a well-publicized love life and as a provider of fresh ideas, despite coming from the same small elite in Guayaquil as the current President Guillermo Lasso. Luisa González appears somewhat rigid compared to him, and her recurring slogan – „we have already done it well before“ – is paralyzing.
Álvaro Noboa hat dreimal versucht, Präsident zu werden – und ist stets gescheitert. Zumeist agierte der einzige Milliardär des Landes zu plump und vulgär. Sein Sohn und Erbe vermied bisher jeden Auftritt mit ihm, obwohl die Kandidatur familienintern abgesprochen sein soll. Im Wahlkampf aber lässt er sich lieber von seiner Mutter, einer erfahrenen konservativen Politikerin, und seiner jungen Frau, einer erfolgreichen Influencerin, begleiten. Von ihr hat Noboa gelernt, wie man sich im Fitnessstudio oder in Badehose am Strand in Szene setzt und dazu seine Playlists auf Spotify veröffentlicht.
54 Prozent sind unter 40
This seems to appeal to younger voters who often feel repelled by traditional politics. 54 percent of the 13.5 million eligible voters are under 40. However, behind the beautiful facade lies a history of extreme exploitation. Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas and the company Noboa is the only national player that can compete with the big fruit multinationals. Daniel Noboa worked in his father’s top management from 2010 to 2018; during this time, the last union in the family business was deliberately dismantled. It is not only the Noboa plantations – the entire sector is a union-free zone with precarious working conditions.
For more than a decade, ASTAC, the association of agricultural and banana workers, has been striving to establish a trade union in the industry. This was thwarted during President Correa’s tenure. Despite a clear court ruling, pressure from businesses has prevented freedom of association in the banana sector until today. President Noboa is expected to ensure continuity in this matter. However, his reputation could be harmed by suspicions of involvement in the drug trade. Ecuador is considered the main supplier of cocaine to the European market. It is believed that over half of the white powder leaves the country concealed in banana boxes.
Außenministerium und Drogenmafia
In February, Agriculture Minister Bernardo Manzano, a long-time member of the Noboa management, promptly resigned when his name was mentioned in connection with a phone call between the Albanian drug mafia and the brother-in-law of current President Lasso regarding cabinet appointments. Ecuadorian media are currently investigating the nature of these contacts.
Der in New York und Harvard ausgebildete Daniel Noboa beschreibt sich selbst als „moderater Sozialdemokrat“ und Anhänger eines „freien Unternehmertums mit sozialer Verantwortung“, ohne dies mit Inhalten zu versehen. Dies wurde beim jüngsten TV-Duell mit González überdeutlich, in dem der sonst so smarte Noboa überraschend blass blieb. Zumindest bis dahin lag er in den – nicht immer zuverlässigen – Umfragen vorn.
Das Yasuní-Referendum
Indirekt stärken ihn Vorbehalte von unabhängigen Linken und Indigenen sowie feministischen und ökologischen Bewegungen, für Luisa González zu stimmen. Die Erinnerung an die autoritäre Regentschaft Correas wiegt schwer. Auch zeigt die Kandidatin eine konservative Haltung zur Abtreibung und Skepsis gegenüber einem Referendum für den Stopp der Ölförderung im Yasuní-Amazonasgebiet. Natürlich würde er dem demokratischen Votum folgen, meinte Daniel Noboa, zumal die dortige Förderung ökonomisch nicht sehr lohnend sei.
However, he does not think of a shift towards a post-fossil economy, but rather wants to promote oil production in other places, along with ecologically harmful mining projects. He also relies on tax breaks – his father also reluctantly paid taxes – and foreign investments to stimulate the economy. A fundamental change to end Ecuador’s state and security crisis would not be expected from a President Noboa.