Ecuador's Electoral Council Denies Candidacy to Luisa González for Manabí Prefecture

Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) has officially rejected an appeal by Luisa González, confirming the denial of her candidacy for the Manabí Prefecture. The decision, adopted by a 3-2 vote with two abstentions, means González and her running mate, Gabriel Giler, will not appear on the ballot for the sectional elections scheduled for November 29, 2026.

The core of the dispute lies in Pachakutik's internal regulations. The movement mandates that candidates must demonstrate active affiliation for at least two years before their nominations. González argued that electoral law permits political organizations to present invited candidates. However, CNE President José Cabrera stated that aspirants must originate from an internal democracy process and adhere to the established rules of their respective political organizations.

The CNE's legal analysis found that Pachakutik had not previously regulated conditions for presenting invited candidates. Consequently, an internal resolution made after the democracy process could not alter the rules. González's candidacy emerged after the Revolución Ciudadana party, led by former President Rafael Correa, faced a suspension that prevented its candidates from running under that banner. This suspension occurred amid an investigation into alleged organized crime, involving González, Correa, and others suspected of illicit fund inflows from Venezuela for the 2023 presidential campaign.

Despite the CNE's ruling, González and Pachakutik retain the option to appeal to the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE) in an effort to overturn the decision and secure her place on the ballot.

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the aspirants must come from a process of internal democracy and respect the conditions previously established in the organic regime of each political organization.