Luisa González, the presidential candidate for the Citizen Resolution party, who will face Noboa at the polls on April 13, criticized the advice of a “mercenary.”
“This is not just disrespectful, but also belittling and denigrating our Armed Forces,” said the presidential candidate.
Several social media users warned about the use of official Ministry of Defense accounts for Noboa’s campaign, as Prince said Ecuador should vote for the president to maintain law and order or risk becoming like Venezuela.
Former Ecuadorian Vice Foreign Minister Fernando Yepez Lasso questioned what “a mercenary with the worst reputation in the world for his human rights violations” should say about the elections.
“How ridiculous, shameful, and undignified for Ecuador that his opinion is being spread and valued as the right path! Tell me who supports you and I’ll tell you who you are!” commented Yepez.
Sociologist and university professor Miguel Ruiz considered that “Prince’s actions are pure theater to win votes” and classified him as Noboa’s new “campaign manager.”
Furthermore, Ruiz recalled the position of the “mercenary,” who in an interview said: “If so many of these countries… are incapable of governing themselves, it’s time for us to put on our imperial hats again, to say, we’re going to govern those countries.”
The Ecuadorian government announced yesterday that Prince had participated in operations against organized crime in the city of Guayaquil, although the agreement signed between the government and the American founder of Blackwater remains a secret.
The company gained worldwide notoriety when it was subcontracted by the United States Army to operate in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it faced repeated allegations of excessive use of force and other controversies.
Noboa’s decision to place the security of Ecuadorians in the hands of someone with such a background is not well received by many, and no information has been released about how much this “strategic alliance” will cost.
This comes one week before the runoff between González and Noboa, and while the country remains in the throes of a deep security crisis, with more than 1,500 homicides so far this year.
ef/oda/avr