Ecuadorian Judge Accepts Challenge Over Recall Referendum Forms Against President Noboa

An electoral judge in Ecuador has accepted a legal challenge concerning the National Electoral Council's (CNE) refusal to provide signature collection forms for a recall referendum against President Daniel Noboa. Judge Joaquín Viteri of the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE) admitted the challenge on July 27, 2026.

The electoral subjective recourse was filed by the referendum's promoters, led by Washington Andrade and Leonidas Iza, president of Ecuarunari. They submitted the action on July 23, seeking to annul the CNE's resolutions that prevented them from obtaining the necessary forms to begin gathering citizen signatures. Judge Viteri has ordered immediate notification to President Noboa, the target of the recall, and to the CNE. The organizations behind the recall effort have warned they might escalate the claim to the Constitutional Court if they do not receive favorable rulings.

On July 15, 2026, the CNE's Plenary unanimously denied the delivery of forms for the recall of President Daniel Noboa and Vice President María José Pinto. The council cited that the requests failed to comply with the established requirements for a mandate revocation. This decision was based on a legal report from the CNE's Directorate of Legal Advice, which concluded that the submitted requests lacked the necessary substantiation.

Council members emphasized that the process for recalling a mandate is an exceptional measure requiring strict standards of justification and precision. According to the CNE's analysis, the petitioners did not clearly articulate the reasons supporting their request, particularly concerning the alleged non-compliance with the pluriannual work plan. The CNE's resolution was grounded in compliance with the Organic Law of Citizen Participation and the Regulations for the Exercise of Direct Democracy.