• Ecuador is on maximum alert over a reported assassination plot against President Daniel Noboa.
• Military intelligence suggests assassins are entering Ecuador from Mexico to target Noboa.
• Political rival Luisa Gonzalez has accused Noboa of electoral fraud.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, supporting Gonzalez, has not recognized Noboa's victory.
• The country faces severe cartel violence, with an average of one killing per hour.

Ecuador's government has declared a state of “maximum alert” due to an alleged assassination plot against President Daniel Noboa, who was recently re-elected. This announcement arrived after a military intelligence report indicated that “assassins” from Mexico and elsewhere may attempt “terrorist attacks” against him, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Government on Saturday, April 19, 2025, and further reported by India Times.

The government has accused “criminal organizations” working with “political sectors defeated at the polls” of plotting against Noboa but has refrained from naming specific individuals. The Ministry of Government emphasized, “We strongly condemn and repudiate any intention against the life of the president of the Republic," emphasizing the need for maximum security, reports Al Jazeera.

Political tensions have intensified following Noboa's victory over his rival Luisa Gonzalez in the April 13 election, where Gonzalez has openly charged him with “grotesque electoral fraud.” Despite her protests and calls for a recount, both Ecuador's electoral council and international observers have dismissed her claims as unfounded. Gonzalez continues to receive support from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who also has not recognized Noboa's victory, states TRT Global.

The backdrop of this political crisis is Ecuador's struggle with rampant violence, where there has been an alarming rate of one killing per hour, primarily linked to drug cartels fighting for territory. Noboa is expected to be sworn in on May 24, and he faces the mammoth challenge of uniting the country against this backdrop of increasing violence and political discord, according to South China Morning Post.