Ecuador: Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Tougher Measures Against Gangs in Weekend Referendum

Quito: Ecuor’s fledgling president got a resounding victory Sunday in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. An official quick count showed that Ecuorians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to all nine questions focused on tightening security measures, rejecting only two more controversial economic proposals.

quick count was announced by he of Electoral National Council, Diana Atamaint. It confirmed a private exit poll released hours before that indicated a resounding victory and sign of support for President Daniel Noboa, scion of a wealthy banana exporting family.

Among measures approved are President Noboa's call to deploy army in fight against gangs, to loosen obstacles for extriting accused criminals and to lengn prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

Ecuor was tritionally one of South America's most peaceful countries, but it has been rocked in recent years by a wave of violence, much of it spilling over from neighboring Colombia, world's largest producer of cocaine. Last year, country's homicide rate shot up to 40 deaths per 100,000 people, one of highest in region.

Noboa has rallied popular support by confronting gangs he on. That task became more urgent in January when masked gunmen, some on orders from imprisoned drug traffickers, terrorized residents and took control of a television station while it was live on air in an unprecedented show of force.

Following rampage, 36-year-old president decreed an “internal armed conflict,” enabling him to use emergency powers to deploy army in pursuit of about 20 gangs now classified as “terrorists.”

referendum, in which more than 13 million Ecuorians were called to vote, contained measures to extend those powers and put m on firmer legal ground.

For some analysts, Ecuorian leer must show results to live up to people’s support.

“This gives him some vigor,” said Andrea Endara, analyst and professor at Casa Grande University. But “if president does not begin to take actions to demonstrate that having voted ‘yes’ brings results to reduce insecurity, this support will quickly be diluted.”

Some of measures approved imply changes to Ecuor's constitution, but because y were previously endorsed by Constitutional Court, Noboa only needs to publish m in official gazette to go into effect. Some of those initiatives are ones related to use of army and extrition.

For changes that require changing some general laws, president will have to send a reform proposal to Assembly, which will have 60 days to process m.

Noboa, ahe of final tally, celebrated results. “We've defended country,” he said in a message posted on social media. “Now we will have more tools to fight against delinquent and restore peace to Ecuor's families.”

Noboa's law and order rhetoric recalls policies of El Salvor's wildly popular president, Nayib Bukele, a fellow millennial, and could give him a boost politically as he prepares to run for reelection next year.

Noboa, is serving final 18 months of a presidential term left vacant when fellow conservative Guillermo Lasso resigned amid a congressional investigation into allegations of corruption. Noboa was elected following a shortened but bloody campaign that saw one of his top rivals brazenly assassinated while campaigning.

“We can’t live in fear of leaving our homes,” Leonor Sandoval, a 39-year-old homemaker, said after voting for all 11 of proposals.