Gonzalez claims fraud, plans to challenge election results in Ecuador

18/4/2025 5:52

Ecuador's leftist

presidential challenger Luisa Gonzalez has said she will

formally challenge the result of Sunday's election, claiming

widespread fraud, although she has lost the support of a key

ally party in disputing her defeat.



Election authorities and outside observers have said

incumbent President Daniel Noboa secured a full term after

sweeping the run-off vote that was held after a tight first

round in February.



Noboa currently leads the official vote tally, which is

99.82% complete, by more than 1 million votes. He said in an

interview with CNN earlier this week that his win was so large

that it was "not up for discussion."



Gonzalez has alleged since Sunday that there was "grotesque"

fraud and said late on Wednesday she would contest the results

with the elections authority, without saying when. Results must

be challenged within two days after the vote count closes.



In a video posted to X, Gonzalez said thousands of ballots

with irregularities had been identified and should be annulled.



"All of these findings, which are very serious, will be

presented to authorities," Gonzalez said, adding that officials

were "unfortunately, under the thumb of those in power."



The head of the elections body, Diana Atamaint, said in an

interview with TV station NTN24 on Wednesday that it had "not

received a single request for a recount of a single ballot."



She added that Gonzalez was free to submit a complaint and

the authority would review it, and that if the politician were

so confident that fraud had been committed, she could file a

criminal complaint with prosecutors.



Observer missions from the Organization of American States

and the European Union, as well as the U.S., have all said that

Noboa handily won the vote. EU observers called the election

transparent and well-organized, and strongly rejected claims of

fraud.



In recent days, Gonzalez's opposition coalition has fallen

apart over her fraud claims, with members of her own Citizens'

Revolution (RC) party recognizing Noboa's win.



On Wednesday her largest ally party, the RETO Movement,

congratulated Noboa, leaving few backers of Gonzalez, who is a

protege of former socialist President Rafael Correa.



Her defeat and subsequent claims of fraud seem "to have left

Correismo (Gonzalez's coalition) in complete disarray," analysts

at investment group BancTrust said on Thursday.



They added this would improve Noboa's chances of forming a

majority bloc in the National Assembly.



The president's National Democratic Action Party holds 66

seats out of the assembly's 151. The government has said it is

negotiating with smaller parties to garner their support.