Ecuador candidate González vows appeal after disqualification in Manabí

Luisa González, a candidate for prefect of Manabí, has responded forcefully to the Provincial Electoral Board's decision to deny her candidacy. She characterized the board's actions as unlawful and declared her intention to appeal through legal and technical channels.

González highlighted several procedural issues with the objection against her. She stated that Michelle Mancheno, secretary of Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), filed the objection without proper legal representation for the party, which she argues violates Article 101 of the Electoral Code. Furthermore, González pointed out that the objection was initially filed with the Chimborazo provincial delegation, not Manabí's, another point she believes warrants its dismissal.

A third argument centers on the objection targeting Pachakutik's internal democracy process, which González asserts has already concluded and been approved. She explained that the law permits candidate replacements after internal elections, citing Article 112 of the Constitution that allows political movements to invite external candidates. González stated Pachakutik formally invited her to run under this provision.

To support her case, González referenced two precedents: Fernando Vanegas, a candidate for the Assembly with Pachakutik despite not being a party member, and Cynthia Viteri, who ran for mayor of Guayaquil with ADN as an invited candidate. She believes these cases demonstrate an inconsistent application of criteria by the Manabí provincial delegation.

"I will remain firm, I will continue to defend myself technically and legally before the appropriate bodies," González stated. She emphasized her commitment to the citizens of Manabí compels her to exhaust all available appeals. The resolution, dated August 21, 2026, also impacts her running mate, Gabriel Giler. González has avenues for appeal, including challenging the resolution before the National Electoral Council (CNE) and subsequently the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE).