Cristian Benavides elected president of Ecuador's Autonomous Governments Commission

Cristian Benavides has been unanimously elected as the new president of the Commission of Autonomous Governments, Decentralization, Competition, and Territorial Organization within Ecuador's National Assembly. His appointment, confirmed on August 19, 2026, received support from both the Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN) and Revolución Ciudadana (RC) blocs.

The leadership change follows a series of resignations from legislators seeking to run in the upcoming November 2026 sectional elections. Specifically, Lucía Pozo resigned her seat to run for the Prefecture of Carchi, a position she previously held as commission president. Other legislative shifts include Diego Rosero, who was appointed Governor of Carchi, and the subsequent movement of Jennifer Guillén Rodríguez into the parliamentary seat vacated by Pozo.

Benavides, who previously served as the commission's vice president, stated that the joint support from government and opposition factions demonstrates the possibility of building consensus and dialogue. His immediate priorities include oversight processes and debating pending legislative projects related to municipalities and prefectures.