The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.


Real insights from the region’s sharpest minds.

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Season 1 | Episode 55

President Noboa’s victory in Ecuador seems to have owed a huge amount to his sweeping crackdown on organised crime, which has seen the military permanently mobilised against gangs. Insecurity is repeatedly identified as voters’ main concern. Can Noboa deliver?

It's clear that Noboa stands and falls on security and voters gave him the benefit of the doubt that he needed more time and that his rival González would be too soft on crime. But, he has to deliver on this as well as addressing an increasingly fraught situation due to massive energy outages, the state of economy and keeping the all-important indigenous voters onside.

On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we hear from Walter Spurrier in Guayaquil. Spurrier is the president of Grupo Spurrier, a columnist for the Diario El Universo newspaper, and the director of the political economic publication Analisis Semanal or Weekly Analysis.

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  • In this episode we discuss:

    • Noboa’s Election & Indigenous Support

    • Gangs, prisons, and Ecuador’s deepening security crisis

    • Blackouts expose fragile energy infrastructure

    • Economy under strain, IMF pressure mounting

  • Walter Spurrier

    Walter Spurrier is a prominent Ecuadorian economic analyst and political commentator, known for his deep insights into Ecuador’s evolving political economy. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, and serves as the director of Análisis Semanal, along with its English-language version, Weekly Analysis, both flagship publications of Grupo Spurrier, which he heads.

    A respected editorialist for Diario El Universo and El Comercio, Walter regularly writes opinion pieces on fiscal policy, energy, governance, and broader national trends. He also works as an advisor to the Guayaquil Chamber of Industry and is a Regent at Universidad Casa Grande.

    Under his leadership, Weekly Analysis has provided strategic economic and political intelligence since 1971. It initially served international oil firms and later expanded into multi-sector consultancy and analysis for business leaders, government agencies, and multinational clients.


Image of host Richard McColl

The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.

Political Analyst, Richard McColl

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