Ecuador - March 2026

On 27 March, the National Electoral Council (CNE) approved a resolution advancing the February 2027 local elections to 29 November 2026, citing technical assessments on the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon on electoral logistics. Although presented as a preventive administrative measure to protect voting operations, the decision altered an electoral calendar already in force and generated significant political and legal controversy. Civil society organizations and opposition parties argued that the sudden change undermined legal certainty and limited parties’ ability to organize candidacies, potentially affecting electoral credibility. Legal challenges were filed before the Constitutional Court and the Electoral Disputes Tribunal, questioning whether the CNE exceeded its mandate and warning that unpredictable application of electoral rules could weaken public trust in election management.

Sources: El Universo, El Pais, Ecuavisa, El Comercio

In March, an electoral judge in Ecuador ordered the nine‑month suspension of the opposition Citizens’ Revolution (Revolución Ciudadana, RC) party, following a request by the Prosecutor General, and stemming from an inquiry into alleged asset laundering by RC members. The provisional measure temporarily removes the country’s largest opposition force, led by former president Rafael Correa, from the electoral register. It prevents RC from participating in key phases of upcoming local electoral processes, which were advanced due to the El Niño climate phenomenon. RC leaders denounced the suspension as weakening political pluralism. Some analysts consider the decision narrows the free political party environment in an already polarized context, while others back the measure as consistent with relevant laws. The measure does not prevent the party’s members from partnering with other parties and could be reversed once the Prosecutor General’s inquiry concludes.

Sources: El Pais, El Comercio