Government & politics — Ecuador

• history: many previous;
• latest approved 20 October 2008 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic through a referendum, by public petition of at least 1% of registered voters, or by agreement of at least one-third membership of the National Assembly; passage requires two separate readings a year apart and approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, and approval by absolute majority in a referendum; amendments such as changes to the structure of the state, constraints on personal rights and guarantees, or constitutional amendment procedures are not allowed; amended 2011, 2015, 2018

• chief of state: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023); Vice President Verónica ABAD Rojas (since 23 November 2023); the president is
• both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023); Vice President Veró
• Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 August 2023 with a runoff on 15 October 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025); note – on 18 May 2023, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council announced that the legislative and presidential elections—originally scheduled for February 2025—would be held on 20 August 2023 with a runoff on 15 October 2023 after former president Guillermo LASSO dissolved the National Assembly by decree on 17 May 2023; though eligible for a second term, LASSO announced that he would not run in the 2023 election; President Daniel NOBOA Azin will serve out the remainder of the current presidential term (2021–2025)
• election results: 2023: Daniel NOBOA Azin elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Luisa GONZÁLEZ Alcivar (MRC) 33.6%, Daniel NOBOA Azin (ADN) 23.5%, Christian Gustavo ZURITA Ron (Construye) 16.4%, Jan Tomislav TOPIĆ Feraud (Por Un País Sin Miedo) 14.7%, Otto Ramón SONNENHOLZNER Sper (Avanza) 7.1% other 4.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Daniel NOBOA Azin 51.8%, Luisa GONZÁLEZ Alcivar 48.2% 2021: Guillermo LASSO Mendoza elected president; percent of vote in the first round - Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 32.7%, Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 19.7%, Yaku PEREZ Guartambel (MUPP) 19.4%, Xavier HERVAS Mora (ID) 15.7%, other 12.5%; percent of vote in the second round - Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 52.5%, Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 47.5%

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (137 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by open-list proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies for Ecuadorians living abroad by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms);

Note

all Assembly members have alternates from the same party who cast votes when a primary member is absent, resigns, or is removed from office

Elections

• last held on 20 August 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025)
• note – on 18 May 2023, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council announced that the legislative and presidential elections—originally scheduled for February 2025—would be held on 20 August 2023 after President Guillermo LASSO dissolved the National Assembly by decree on 17 May 2023
• a return to a regular election cycle will occur in February 2025

Election Results

• percent of vote by party - MRC 39.7%, Construye 20.4%, ADN 14.6%, PSC 11.9%, Actuemos 4.5%, PSP 3.2%, other 5.7%
• seats by party - NA;

Note

defections by National Assembly members are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

• highest court(s): National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges, including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of the cou
• rt president and 8 judges) judge selection and term of office: candidates for the National Court of Justice evaluated and appointed justices by the Judicial Council, a 9-member independent body of law professionals; justices elected for 9-year, non-renewable terms, with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; candidates for the Constitutional Court evaluated and appointed judges by a 6-member independent body of law professionals; j
• udges appointed for 4-year renewable terms subordinate courts: provincial courts (one for each province except Galapagos); fiscal, criminal, and administrative tribunals; Election Dispute Settlement Courts; cantonal courts

24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora Chinchipe

• Actuemos Ecuador or Actuemos AMIGO movement, Independent Mobilizing Action Generating Opportunities (Movimiento AMIGO (Acción Movilizadora Independiente Generando Oportunidades)) or AM16O [Victor BRAVO, acting president]
• Avanza Party or AVANZA [Javier ORTI Torres]
• Central Democratic Movement or CD [Jimmy JAIRALA]
• Citizen Revolution Movement or MRC or RC5 [Luisa GONZÁLEZ]
• Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO [Esteban BERNAL]
• Democratic Left or ID [Analía LEDESMA]
• Democracy Yes Movement (Movimiento Democracia Si) [Gustavo LARREA]
• For A Country Without Fear (Por Un País Sin Miedo) (an alliance including PSC, CD, and PSP) [Jan Tomislav TOPIĆ Feraud]
• Green Movement (Movimiento Verde Movimiento Construye or Construye [María Paula ROMO]
• National Democratic Action (Acción Democrática Nacional) or ADN [Daniel NOBOA]
• Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP [Guillermo CHURUCHUMBI]
• Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIÉRREZ Borbúa]
• People, Equality, and Democracy Party (Partido Pueblo, Igualdad y Democracia) or PID [Arturo MORENO]
• Popular Unity Party (Partido Unidad Popular) or UP [Geovanni ATARIHUANA]
• Revolutionary and Democratic Ethical Green Movement (Movimiento Verde Ético Revolucionario y Democrático) or MOVER [René ESPÍN, Secretary-General]
• Social Christian Party or PSC [Alfredo SERRANO]
• Socialist Party [Gustavo VALLEJO]
• Society United for More Action or SUMA [Guillermo CELI]
• Total Renovation Movement (Movimiento Renovacion Total) or RETO [Eduardo SÁNCHEZ]

• 18-65 years of age
• universal and compulsory
• 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary

• no residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael J. FITZPATRICK (since 3 July 2019) embassy: E12-170 Avenida Avigiras y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito mailing address: 3420 Quito Place, Washington DC 20521-3420

telephone

[593] (2) 398-5000

Email address and website

• ACSQuito@state.gov
• https://ec.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general

Guayaquil

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Maria Soledad PENA PLAZA (since 9 February 2024)

chancery

2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone

[1] (202) 234-7200

FAX

[1] (202) 333-2893

Email address and website

• embassy@ecuador.org
• http://www.ecuador.org/

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Haven (CT), New York, Newark (NJ), Phoenix, San Francisco