The presidential candidate of the Alianza Acción Democrática Nacional party of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa Azin, denounced an attack on his van on Thursday, after the closing of the electoral campaign. The candidate of this minority party announced through X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was attacked in the province of Guayas. On the same social network, both the Ecuadorian National Police and the Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, ruled out an "armed attack" against the candidate, although they did not provide details about the incident either.
The shooting, without victims, took place on Thursday, according to local sources and the applicant's companions. The attack occurred during a caravan journey that the candidate, protected with a bulletproof vest, was carrying out in Durán, a municipality in the metropolitan area of Guayaquil. This municipality is known for being one of the most dangerous areas in the country and is characterized for being an area with a strong presence of drug trafficking, according to the authorities.
According to the Ecuadorian media, the shooting could have been a possible confrontation between criminal gangs in the area. However, the candidate confirmed through X that it was a direct attack on his caravan. "They have just attacked the caravan in which we were moving in Durán. Thank God, we came out unharmed," Noboa published on the social network.
Noboa affirmed last Sunday that he had received death threats during his electoral campaign. The candidate and his party have had to implement security measures and the use of bulletproof vests for his protection. The attack occurred just 8 days after the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, which marked a crisis of insecurity in the Latin American country. According to local sources, the candidates fear for their safety a few days before the elections.
