Assassination Attempt on Ecuador’s Newly Re-Elected President Daniel Noboa – Country on ‘Maximum Alert’
Quito, April 20, 2025: Ecuador has declared a state of “maximum alert” following reports of a possible assassination plot against newly re-elected President Daniel Noboa, the government announced on Saturday.
Noboa won the runoff election held on April 13, but his main opponent, Luisa González, has alleged “massive electoral fraud.”
According to a leaked military intelligence report circulating on social media, a group of hitmen from Mexico and other countries has entered Ecuador with plans to carry out a “terrorist attack” against the president.
In a statement issued early Saturday, Ecuador’s Interior Ministry said:
“We strongly condemn and denounce any conspiracy against the life of the president, state authorities, and public officials.”
It added, “The state is currently on maximum alert.”
The government claimed that the plot was backed by “criminal groups linked to defeated political factions,” though it did not name anyone specifically.
While Ecuador’s electoral council and international observers have dismissed claims of vote-rigging, Mexico and Colombia have not yet officially recognized Noboa’s victory.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has voiced her support for the left-wing candidate González, who is demanding a recount.
It’s important to note that diplomatic ties between Ecuador and Mexico were severed last year after Ecuadorian security forces raided the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a former vice president who had been granted political asylum.
Noboa, who is scheduled to take office on May 24, faces the massive challenge of uniting a country plagued by violence and political unrest. Earlier this year, the nation witnessed an average of one murder per hour, as drug cartels clashed over control of key trafficking routes.
