Ecuadorians vote in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs

President Daniel Noboa holds the ballot during a referendum to endorse new security measures to crackdown on criminal gangs (Cesar Munoz/AP)

Ecuador’s president got a resounding victory on Sunday in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiralling wave of violence.

An official quick count showed that Ecuadorians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to all nine questions focused on tightening security measures, rejecting only two more controversial economic proposals.