Ecuador's Noboa vows to tackle violence, boost economy and create jobs in second term

QUITO (AP) — Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa was officially sworn in on Saturday following his reelection for another four-year term early this year.

Noboa, 37, who wore a presidential sash over his chest, was sworn in alongside his Vice President María José Pinto and their terms will run until May 2029.

The young president, who has become known for his fight against a surge of armed group violence in the South American country, pledged in his inauguration speech to continue to tackle corruption, drug trafficking and violent crime. He also swore to implement reforms and said he would lay “a solid foundation for job creation and investment" by working with Ecuador's private sector.

“We are at the doorstep of four years of progress,” he said.

The ceremony in the capital, Quito, was attended by U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, and many other international guests and delegates.

Noboa was first elected as president in November 2023 aged 35, with little political experience. He unexpectedly entered the race and was elected to complete the term of his predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, who had dissolved the Assembly and stepped down to avoid impeachment.

Noboa was re-elected on April 13 in a run-off against left-wing candidate Luisa González, who has made repeated allegations of electoral fraud. Her Citizen Revolution party, lead by former president Rafael Correa, boycotted Saturday's ceremony, even though González claims were rejected by Ecuador’s electoral authority and both national and international observers.

Violence and high unemployment levels remain the biggest challenges facing the president and his National Democratic Action (ADN) party, which also was able to hold the majority in the country’s congress through a number of political alliances.

Maintaining that majority will be crucial for Noboa in pushing through his agenda, including a crime-fighting bill marked as “urgent” for its economic implications. The proposal has already drawn criticism from the opposition.

Juan Francisco Camino, a professor at the Equinoctial Technological University, said Noboa's tight majority could easily shift the balance.

“Just one lost vote from his allies could paralyze his plans," Camino said in an interview.

Asked whether Noboa might change his governing approach in this new term, Camino predicted continuity, especially with the government’s focus on using state power to fight crime, which he said “sells legitimacy.”

Ecuador is one of the most dangerous countries in the region, with around 8,000 violent deaths by the end of 2024 and crime continuing to rise in 2025. Camino stressed that Noboa must “look beyond security” and focus on rebuilding Ecuador’s social fabric, especially in areas like jobs, healthcare, and education.

Others said it was important to focus on root causes of violence, like lack of opportunities which often pushes young people to join criminal groups. Only 33% of Ecuadorians had full-time jobs as of late last year, with the rest working in the informal economy.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, acknowledge supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace after his swearing-in ceremony for a second term in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Carlos Noriega)

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, accompanied by his wife Lavinia Valbonesi and their two children, arrives at the National Assembly for his swearing-in ceremony for a second term, in Quito, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

A supporter of Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa cheers as he appears on the balcony of the presidential palace after his swearing-in ceremony for a second term in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Carlos Noriega)

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboai and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, wave from the balcony of the presidential palace after his swearing-in ceremony for a second term in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Carlos Noriega)

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines arrive for the swearing-in ceremony for a second term of Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa at the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa walks out of the National Assembly with his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, and National Assembly President Niels Olsen, right, after his swearing-in ceremony for a second term, in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa acknowledges supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace after his swearing-in ceremony for a second term in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Carlos Noriega)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)