Ecuador's Judicial Council removes provincial directors and seeks new leadership

The plenary of Ecuador's Consejo de la Judicatura dismissed the provincial directors of Imbabura (Hugo Imbaquingo) and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (Esteban Andrés Guzmán Silva). It also accepted the resignations of directors from Los Ríos, Cotopaxi and Esmeraldas and declared an emergency to address a nationwide deficit of judges. The council approved procedures for the temporary appointment of judges to provincial courts and the National Court to ensure continuity of justice services.

In Cotopaxi, after the departure of former provincial director María Belén Bedón, legal analysts highlighted persistent case backlogs, deteriorating court infrastructure and insufficient budget. They called for a new provincial authority with expertise in public administration and results‑based management, recommending a merit‑based public competition for the position. The council has temporarily assigned the duties to Fernando Tinajero, president of the Cotopaxi Provincial Court of Justice.