Ecuador Parliament Passes New Extradition Law Granting President Veto Power

Ecuador's National Assembly approved the Organic Extradition Law with 139 votes in favor and one abstention. The legislation updates the procedural framework that has been in place since 2000, establishing clearer roles for the National Court of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency. It creates a central authority to coordinate extradition requests and reduces the overall processing time to a maximum of three months, with the requesting state given 60 days to file a request and 30 days to effect the transfer.

A key change gives the President the final authority to accept or deny an extradition, citing national security, public order, reciprocity or other essential state interests. The law also amends the Organic Integral Penal Code so that time spent in pre‑trial detention abroad does not count toward the expiry of preventive detention in Ecuador, allowing extensions of six months to one year. It applies to Ecuadorian nationals for offenses committed after 9 May 2024 and to foreigners for transnational crimes, while prohibiting extradition in cases involving the death penalty, torture, political offenses or other protected grounds.