In preparation for a federal election, Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, has made a number of dramatic policy changes.
Noboa announced he would be imposing a 27-percent tariff on imports from Mexico on Monday in a post on the social media platform X.
Then, in a second message two hours later, he revealed he would seal the country’s borders for a three-day period in response to unspecified threats from armed groups.
“In response to attempts by armed groups to destabilise the country, the borders will remain closed from Saturday, February 8, to Monday, February 10”, Noboa wrote.
He also announced a push to “immediately militarise” Ecuador’s ports and reinforce the military presence at the country’s borders.
The announcements come as Noboa, a conservative, faces a tight re-election bid on Sunday against his rival from the 2023 presidential race, Luisa Gonzalez of the left-wing Citizen Revolution Movement.
Noboa appeared to be a rehash of Donald Trump’s policies and phrasings, which he won re-election in 2024 for a hardline agenda of tariffs and border security.
Ongoing feud with Mexico
Trump and Noboa share a common target for their tariff threats: Mexico.
Trump announced in November that he would impose 25% tariffs on Mexican imports into the US shortly after winning the election. The imposition of those tariffs have been temporarily paused, as of Monday, for a period of 30 days.
Trump defended the action, claiming it was necessary as a means of preventing Mexico from importing illegal immigrants and illegal drugs into the US. He also cited the need to protect US industries.
Noboa imposed a 27-percent import tax on products imported from Mexico on Monday, making a similar move.
Echoing Trump’s phrasing, Noboa said that he remained committed to free trade with Mexico but not when there was “abuse”.
The president of Ecuador wrote, “We confirm our position by signing a free trade agreement with Mexico.”
We will apply a 27% tariff to the products we import with the intention of supporting our industry and guaranteeing fair treatment for our producers until that happens and becomes a reality.
In recent years, there have been tensions between Ecuador and Mexico, which ended last year when diplomatic relations between the two countries broke down.
The break was the result of a raid, led by Ecuadorian police, on Mexico’s Embassy in Quito. Former Ecuadorian president was detained by police inside and given asylum in Mexico.
Local police are prohibited from conducting law enforcement in embassies without permission by international law. Most regional governments condemned the raid.
A close election
Noboa also made it clear on Monday that Ecuador and Canada had successfully completed a free trade agreement.
“After months of intense negotiations, our government has achieved what no other has: Ecuador will have a trade agreement with Canada”, he wrote.
On Sunday, the Ecuadorian leader will face a competitive battle. Noboa leads with roughly 38 percent of the vote, and Gonzalez is in second place with 32% of the vote.
Noboa likely lacks the necessary majority to avoid a run-off with Gonzalez in April, which means.
Noboa, the heir to the banana industry’s fortune, hopes to win a full four-year term after taking office in November 2023.
His current term is only 18 months long: He won a snap election to overthrow former president Guillermo Lasso, who dissolved his country under a constitutional system known as the “muerte cruzada” or “crossed death.”
Despite a number of measures giving the military and police more powerful powers, Noboa has struggled to stop the escalating violence from criminal organizations.
Ecuador’s dependence on hydroelectric power has also been exacerbated by a severe drought during his brief presidency.
Source: Aljazeera
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