Ecuadorian voters, many of them crime victims, head to the polls for presidential election

People on the streets of Ecuador can rattle off the places they have encountered criminals: On the bus, at the park, on the sidewalk, in a cab, by the mall, next to a restaurant.

People on the streets of Ecuador can rattle off the places they have encountered criminals: On the bus, at the park, on the sidewalk, in a cab, by the mall, next to a restaurant. And, while finger-counting, they can just as easily list what they lost in the multiple robberies or hours long kidnappings they have experienced: A full month’s salary; a second, third or fifth cellphone; a wallet. So many of them have become crime victims since violence erupted in their country four years ago that they are no longer shaken by their friends’ stories of burglaries, carjackings or other offenses. Still, their personal and collective losses will be a determining factor Sunday, when they head to the ballot box to decide if a fourth president in as many years can turn Ecuador around or if incumbent President Daniel Noboa, deserves more time in office. “Nothing has improved since the violence broke out,” Briggitte Hurtado said on a recent evening when her fashion jewelry stall and others on the boardwalk in the port city of Guayaquil had no customers. “People used to go out more, and there was more activity on this area. I still don’t know who to vote for.” Hurtado, 23, said she remains skeptical of Noboa because of her experiences since he became president in November 2023. She was robbed twice leaving work last year, but even worse, she said, was being driven around the city in a cab for four hours with her boyfriend until the driver and an associate managed to withdraw $800 from his account.