International
What will the second round of Ecuador’s elections be like?
October 13 |
Next Sunday, October 15, the presidential candidate of Revolución Ciudadana (RC), Luisa González, and the candidate of the coalition Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), Daniel Noboa, will face each other in the second round of the early elections in Ecuador.
More than 13 million Ecuadorians will go to the polls to choose who will be their president. This is the second round of voting after in the first round held last August 20 none of the candidates achieved a simple majority of 50 percent plus one.
The winner will succeed Guillermo Lasso and will finish the presidential term 2021-2025, due to the fact that, in May 2023, the current president decreed the dissolution of the National Assembly at the same time as the end of his presidential term, a mechanism called “muerte cruzada”, which allows calling for early general elections.
Daniel Noboa, 35, is a businessman and son of Alvaro Noboa, who was a presidential candidate on several occasions. Noboa seeks to create tax incentives and tax exemptions for new businesses. In terms of security, he wants to strengthen the judicial system, combat cyber crimes and improve the prison system.
The candidate of former President Rafael Correa’s party, Luisa Gonzalez, 45, became the first woman to obtain such a significant percentage in the first round of presidential elections with 33 percent of the votes in her favor, she advocates fighting crime, corruption and strengthening the judiciary.
Several pollsters authorized by the National Electoral Council (CNE) have presented their latest figures to the population.
The company Comunicaliza indicates that 41.5 percent of the Ecuadorians consulted would opt for Daniel Noboa. While the candidate Luisa Gonzalez, obtains 36.4 percent. In addition, 12.4 percent are still undecided as to who they will vote for, while 9.7 percent will decide to vote blank or null.
According to the results of the pollster Telcodata, the representative of Alianza Democrática would have 36.7 percent, while the candidate of the Revolución Ciudadana movement would have 36.4 percent. Although everything would be decided by those who still do not know for whom they will vote, since this group represents 15.9 percent.
Another pollster called Negocios & Estrategias places Noboa in first place with 39 percent, but Gonzalez with 38.63 percent, which reflects the tightness of this second round. And 17.07 percent still have not decided for whom they will vote.
In Ecuador voting is mandatory for the majority of the population. Voting is imperative for citizens between 18 and 65 years of age, for young people between 16 and 17 years of age and for active duty members of the Police and Armed Forces.
In the event that any person fails to comply with his obligation to participate in the elections, a fine of 10 percent of the minimum wage will be imposed. Persons over 65 years of age, health professionals working on election day, if they were sick, disabled, had a domestic calamity, were involved in a traffic accident or if they were out of the country will be exempted from paying the fine.
International
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Mexico accounts for the highest number of urgent actions related to enforced disappearances worldwide, according to the latest report by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
The report, released by I(dh)eas, indicates that Mexico has accumulated 819 cases between 2012 and February 2026, representing 38% of the global total.
In the past five months alone, 40 new urgent requests have been recorded — more than one-third of all such actions worldwide during that period.
The report warns that this trend reflects a structural problem, as the urgent action mechanism — originally intended as an exceptional measure — has become routine in Mexico.
Although the Mexican state formally complies with response deadlines, the Committee identified significant shortcomings in the implementation of these measures. These include the lack of comprehensive search plans, delays in key investigative procedures such as video surveillance and phone data analysis, and insufficient inquiries into possible links involving state agents.
The report also highlights inadequate protection for relatives and individuals involved in search efforts, including cases of reprisals.
Among the most serious incidents documented is the disappearance of a father who had denounced alleged involvement of authorities in his son’s case in the state of Guanajuato.
The accumulation of cases could lead to the application of Article 34 of the Convention, which would allow for the launch of an international investigation into systematic enforced disappearances.
Geographically, the state of Chiapas accounts for 30% of the new urgent actions, many of them linked to collective disappearances of migrants.
International
Le pape Léon XIV appelle à relancer le dialogue pour une paix au Moyen-Orient
Le pape Léon XIV s’est entretenu par téléphone ce vendredi avec le président d’Israël, Isaac Herzog, soulignant la « nécessité de rouvrir » les canaux de dialogue afin de parvenir à une « paix juste » au Moyen-Orient.
Selon un communiqué du Vatican, les deux dirigeants ont insisté sur l’importance de relancer tous les mécanismes diplomatiques pour mettre fin au conflit en cours et œuvrer en faveur d’une paix durable dans la région.
Le communiqué précise également que les discussions ont porté sur la protection des populations civiles et sur le respect du droit international et humanitaire.
Cet échange intervient dans le contexte de la Semaine sainte, cinq jours après un incident à Jérusalem, où la police israélienne avait empêché le cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa de célébrer la messe du Dimanche des Rameaux au Saint-Sépulcre.
Le lendemain, le secrétaire d’État du Vatican, Pietro Parolin, avait convoqué l’ambassadeur israélien auprès du Saint-Siège, Yaron Sideman, pour exprimer le mécontentement du Vatican face à cet incident qualifié de « regrettable ».
Cette situation avait suscité une vive réaction internationale, poussant le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu à intervenir pour assurer que le cardinal pourrait accéder au lieu saint.
De son côté, Herzog a confirmé l’échange sur son compte X, indiquant que les discussions ont également porté sur des sujets régionaux, notamment la guerre en Iran et la situation au Liban.
Le pape, d’origine américaine, participe actuellement à sa première Semaine sainte depuis son élection et doit présider ce soir le chemin de croix au Vatican.
International
Devotees in Philippines mark Holy Week with extreme rituals despite rising costs
Despite rising fuel prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East, thousands of devotees in Philippines took part this year in one of the country’s most intense Holy Week traditions.
In the city of San Fernando, located in Pampanga province, dozens of bare-chested penitents with covered faces walked barefoot along dusty streets, whipping their backs with bamboo lashes as part of a ritual that can draw up to 12,000 local and foreign visitors.
Journalists from Agence France-Presse reported seeing participants piercing their skin with glass shards attached to small wooden paddles to ensure bleeding during the ceremony — an act believed to atone for sins and seek divine intervention.
“I do this to pray for the healing of my seven-month-old baby, who is suffering from pneumonia,” said a devotee identified as John David at the start of the procession.
The 49-year-old participant explained that the practice runs in his family. “My grandfather started this, then my father, and now it’s my turn. I have witnessed healing miracles over the years through this act of faith,” he said.
Many attendees traveled for hours to witness the climax of the ritual, in which some penitents allow nails, measuring about seven centimeters, to be driven into their hands before being raised on crosses in a reenactment of crucifixion.
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Le pape Léon XIV appelle à relancer le dialogue pour une paix au Moyen-Orient
Devotees in Philippines mark Holy Week with extreme rituals despite rising costs
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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