Inter-American Commission urges safeguards for pluralism in Ecuador’s local elections

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has begun monitoring the conditions surrounding Ecuador’s local elections, scheduled for Nov. 29, 2026. It called on state institutions to protect plural political participation and equal conditions for the organizations competing in the vote.

The commission also sought adequate legal reasoning for decisions and effective access to judicial remedies. The elections will choose provincial prefects and vice-prefects, mayors, urban and rural council members, parish board members, and members of the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control.

Ecuador’s National Electoral Council moved the vote forward from February 2027 on March 27, 2026. The decision followed a report from the national risk-management secretariat on effects linked to El Niño. The earlier date compressed the timetable for internal primaries, candidate registration and campaigning. The change remained in force after Ecuador’s Constitutional Court rejected seven constitutional challenges on formal grounds.

Political organizations have also faced court and administrative measures. Ecuador’s electoral court temporarily suspended Revolución Ciudadana from the permanent register for nine months on March 6, following a request from the attorney general’s office tied to money-laundering inquiries. On July 17, the court imposed the same suspension on Amigo, which had previously been announced as an electoral support platform.

The electoral council canceled the legal status of Construye and Unidad Popular over inconsistencies in the required minimum number of members. The electoral court later overturned the measure against Unidad Popular and ordered a new technical review. The legal situation of Construye continued through a separate process.

The commission strongly condemned death threats against the judge handling case No. 029-2026 before the electoral court. Ecuador’s attorney general’s office is investigating the threats.