Daniel Noboa is sworn in as Ecuador’s president, inheriting the leadership of a country on edge

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An inexperienced politician and heir to a fortune built on the banana trade has been sworn in as Ecuador’s president. Daniel Noboa took on the job Thursday during a ceremony in Quito, the South American country’s capital. Ecuadorians are looking to Noboa to restore the public safety that drug cartels and other criminal organizations have stolen. His term will run only through May 2025, which is what remains of former President Guillermo Lasso’s tenure. Lasso cut his term short when he dissolved the National Assembly in May as lawmakers pursued impeachment proceedings against him. Ecuador’s spike in violence is tied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru.