© Reuters. Ecuadorian President-elect Daniel Noboa looks on as he meets with current President Guillermo Lasso to begin the transition process before Noboa takes office in December, at the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador, October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/F
Noboa, 35, has pledged to rebuild the South American country's ailing economy, create jobs and work to quell rising crime and violence largely blamed on organized crime. Her announcement came as Noboa, the heir to a family banana business and a former one-term congressman, is visiting the United States, meeting with officials, business leaders and investors, according to a statement from his press office.
Noboa faces the challenge of a local economy that has struggled since the coronavirus pandemic, pushing thousands of Ecuadoreans to migrate.