Daniel Noboa

Daniel Noboa
Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín (born 30 November 1987) is an Ecuadorian business administrator, politician and businessman in the banana industry, who is the president-elect of Ecuador after winning the 2023 general election. At 35 years old, he will be the second youngest president in the country's history, after Juan Jose Flores, who was not elected by popular vote.
He was a member of the National Assembly of Ecuador from 2021 until 2023 when the National Assembly was dissolved following the muerte cruzada mechanism invoked by President Guillermo Lasso. Before his political career, Noboa served in several positions at Noboa Corporation, an exporting business founded by his father Álvaro Noboa, who unsuccessfully ran for president of Ecuador five times. He has been widely described as an heir to his father's company and fortune.
In May 2023, Noboa announced his candidacy for president in the 2023 snap election, running under the National Democratic Action ticket. He advanced to the run-off election in October, facing Luisa González, which many interpreted as an upset given his low polling numbers in the days leading up to the election. Noboa would go on to win nearly 52% of the vote in the run-off, defeating González on 15 October 2023.
Early life and education
Daniel Roy-Gilchrist Noboa Azín was born on 30 November 1987 in the city of Miami, Although he was raised in Guayaquil. He is the son of businessman Álvaro Noboa and physician Anabella Azín.
After studying at the New York University Stern School of Business, he obtained a degree in business administration in 2010.
He continued his career by specializing in several master's degrees. In 2019, Noboa earned a Master of Business Administration from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois. In 2020, he studied at Harvard University and in 2022, he obtained a master's degree in Political Communication and Strategic Governance from the George Washington University.
Business
At the age of 18, Noboa founded his own company, DNA Entertainment Group with the intent dedicated to organized events.
His father, Álvaro Noboa, owns Noboa Corporation, a banana exporter. He is seen as an heir to the company. He has served as shipping director of Noboa Corporation. He was also commercial and logistics director, between 2010 and June 2018.
Politics
Noboa was elected to the National Assembly in the 2021 legislative elections, representing Santa Elena, for the United Ecuadorian political movement. He was inaugurated on 14 May of the same year. In that same May, he was appointed chair of the Economic Development Commission. His political ideology has been described as both centrist and centre-right.
In March 2023, he was in favor of the muerte cruzada, in the face of the rejection and filing of the Investment Law, presented by the government of Guillermo Lasso. On 17 May 2023, Lasso invoked muerte cruzada, dissolving the National Assembly and ending Noboa's tenure as an assemblyman.
2023 presidential campaign
In May 2023, and with the dissolution of parliament amid the political crisis, he presented himself as a pre-candidate for the presidential elections of the same year, by the political movement National Democratic Action (ADN), and also supported by the movements People, Equality and Democracy (PID) and MOVER. His running mate was businesswoman Verónica Abad Rojas. His campaign has focused on job creation, tax incentives for newly established businesses and increased criminal sentences for tax evaders. He has also pledged to improve the justice system in the country amid growing violence.
In two July polls, he was polling at 6.4% and at 3.1%. In early August, Noboa was polling at 2.5% and 3.7%. In a poll conducted a week before the election, he was polling at 3.3%.
On 20 August, Noboa gathered 23.47% of the actual votes and advanced to the run-off election set for 15 October, facing Luisa González. His second-place finish was seen as surprising, with some attributing his rise in popularity to his debate performance. Noboa credited the young voter base for his victory.
In the second round, Noboa was elected, winning 52% of the vote. At age 35, he will be the youngest president in Ecuadorian history (and the second youngest head of state in the world, and youngest democratically elected head of state in the world), younger than Jaime Roldós Aguilera when he took the presidency at 38 years old in 1979. Following his victory, Noboa thanked voters "for believing in "a new political project, a young political project, an improbable political project". He vowed to "to return peace to the country, to give education to the youth again, to be able to provide employment to the many people who are looking for it".
Personal life
On december 23, 2017, he married Gabriela Goldbaum, with whom he had a daughter. They later divorced after a long legal matter.
In 2019 he met the social media influencer Lavinia Valbonesi, whom he married on August 28, 2021, after a year and eight months of relationship. They have one son. Noboa and Valbonesi are expecting their second son in February 2024.
Controversy
In June 2021, a complaint filed by Noboa was admitted to a Spanish court, to investigate the insurer Mapfre for the alleged crime of violation of the right to privacy and disclosure of secrets, for data used by Goldbaum during the divorce process.
The Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo revealed in October 2023 that Noboa is the owner of two offshore companies located in Panama, according to the Panama Papers. He is also linked to several other companies owned by his father in tax havens. Ecuadorian law prohibits election candidates from owning assets in tax havens.
References
External links
Campaign website (in Spanish)
Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)
1987 births
Living people
George Washington University alumni
Politicians from Guayaquil
21st-century Ecuadorian politicians
Candidates for President of Ecuador
People from Santa Elena Province
Members of the National Assembly (Ecuador)
Ecuadorian businesspeople
Members of the fourth National Assembly (Ecuador)
Harvard University alumni