Ecuador's electoral integrity falls to historic low amid rights crackdown

A joint report by the Electoral Integrity Project, compiled by scholars in Canada and the United Kingdom, gave Ecuador the lowest election‑process score since the project began in 2012, assigning the country 49 points and ranking it 25th in the Americas. The report cites a decline in electoral integrity during the 2025 elections, marked by high violence, media restrictions, and the suspension of four major opposition parties.

Separately, the international civil‑society watchdog CIVICUS Monitor kept Ecuador on its watch list, classifying the nation's civic space as “obstructed” because emergency powers enacted by President Daniel Noboa have been repeatedly extended, granting the armed forces broad authority to intervene in protests. CIVICUS warned of rising intimidation, criminalisation and violence against activists, journalists and NGOs, and expressed concern over a new “violent extremism” definition that could broaden state surveillance. Both reports warn that Ecuador is sliding toward an authoritarian model under the current administration.