Noboa’s popularity declines but who will it benefit in the election?; Ecuadorians prefer cash; Mexico #1 in candidate murders; Mexican cartel hacks trial

The approval rating of President Daniel Noboa continues to decline, according to results of the latest Click Report poll released Monday. The poll shows the president with a 53% positive rating, down from 61% in April, and far below the 80% he enjoyed in January.

The poll also showed an overall decline in optimism about the future, with 74% saying the country is heading in the wrong direction. On a question about employment opportunities, 90% said the situation was “bad.”

According to a new poll, President Daniel Noboa’s popularity has dropped almost 30% since January.

According to Click Director Francis Romero, Ecuadorians are shifting their attention from crime and insecurity to poor economic conditions and lack of employment. “Insecurity and the fight against organized crime is still the number one concern of voters but economic issues are moving up quickly in priority,” he says. “The president made promises about employment and opportunities for youth but he has not delivered and voters are beginning to hold him accountable. Our surveys show that people are feeling slightly better about insecurity, and they give Noboa credit for this, but now they are looking at other problems.”

So, what do Noboa’s declining numbers mean for the February election? “That’s the big question and no one today has a good answer,” Romero said. “Under normal conditions, the political atmosphere would favor the Correistas but these are not normal times. The popularity of Citizens Revolution and Rafael Correa personally, have fallen even further in recent months than the president’s.”

Romero added that Citizens Revolution’s alleged association with criminals and corruption have caused serious damage to its presidential election chances. “Much of what is being suggested is unproven but the damage has been done,” he said.

Romero suggested that Noboa’s biggest challenge is yet to emerge. “Like Noboa himself in the last election, voters may prefer a fresh face. The following months will be very interesting, politically speaking.”

Ecuadorians prefer cash
Despite the fact that increasing numbers of Latin Americans are using credit and debit cards to make purchases, cash continues to be king in the region. And, of ten countries included in a recent survey by U.S. consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Ecuadorians are leaders in a preference for cash.

Survey results showed that 49% of Ecuadorians only use cash in financial transactions, with Colombians and Guatemalan not far behind, at 43% and 40% respectively. In total, 70% of the 150,000 respondents surveyed said their first payment choice was cash.

The survey also included Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Argentina and Chile.

Countries with the highest preference for credit and debit cards over cash, were Chile (13%), Argentina (25%) and Costa Rica (28%).

Among the main factors in the preference for physical currency, McKinsey said, were high rates of informal sales and employment, and the fact that many small businesses do not accept credit and debit cards. McKinsey reported, however, that the use of plastic is increasing rapidly throughout Latin America, doubling within the past five years.

Mexico leads in candidate murders
Although the Mexican government only reported the murder of 12 candidates during the recent election campaign, a coalition of newspapers and news websites say the actual total is 30.

“Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world for those who campaign for elected office,” said Jorge Martinez, editor of the media newsletter La Prensa. “It is very disturbing that the government and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador make light of these murders and tries to hide them,” he said, adding: “In large areas of Mexico, the cartels control the electoral process and kill those who don’t play by their rules.”

During the election campaign, López Obrador said that drug cartel violence mostly affects cartel members, not the general public. “They mostly kill each other and don’t threaten communities at large,” he said. “The press, unfortunately, overemphasizes the danger to citizens.”

According to Martinez, the country with the second most candidate murders in its most recent election is Colombia, with seven.

Drug cartel hacks assassination trial
A Mexican drug cartel hacked into the Zoom video feed of the Fernando Villavicencio assassination trial on Thursday. During a recess in testimony, the logo of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel briefly appeared on television screens and computer monitors in the Quito courtroom and in two prisons where suspects are delivering statements. Although the logo “CJN Management” appeared for only a few seconds, court technicians were able to track the hack to a Mexican internet server.

One of the judges hearing the case reported that she received a message shortly after the CJN screen appeared saying, “We are watching you.”