Ecuador's electoral council bars Correist candidate González from running

Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) has definitively rejected an appeal from Luisa González, a leading figure of the Correist movement, denying her eligibility to run in the upcoming November local elections. The CNE's decision upholds a prior ruling that found González, and her running mate Gabriel Giler, did not meet the requirements to be candidates for the Manabí provincial prefecture under the Pachakutik movement.

The core of the CNE's decision rests on Pachakutik's internal rules, which stipulate that candidates must have been active members of the indigenous movement for at least two years before their candidacies are finalized. González and Giler were nominated by Pachakutik after their own party, Revolución Ciudadana (RC), led by former President Rafael Correa, was suspended by an electoral judge in March.

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originate from a process of internal democracy and observe the conditions previously established in the organic regime of the party.

González had argued that electoral law permits parties to nominate "guest" candidates. However, CNE President José Cabrera stated that all nominees must originate from the party's internal democratic processes and adhere to its established organic regulations. He further noted that Pachakutik had not previously outlined conditions for accepting external candidates.

The suspension of Revolución Ciudadana, which is currently under investigation by the Prosecutor's Office for alleged organized crime and illicit campaign financing, has fueled accusations from RC leaders of a government plot to remove their candidates from the ballot. This latest CNE ruling can still be appealed to the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE) before it becomes final.

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Pachakutik did not regulate in advance the conditions for nominating invited candidates.