Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador (PCMLE) | Apr. 26, 2026 | Translated for The Red Phoenix by Camilo Lazo–
Comrades,
Since last March, we have been engaged in a political and electoral battle with the aim of defending the legal registration of Popular Unity (Unidad Popular).
Within the framework of the authoritarian policies of the government of Daniel Noboa, the National Electoral Council (CNE), acting as a political instrument of the Executive, initiated a legal process with the objective of outlawing Popular Unity, arguing that it did not have the minimum number of members required to maintain its electoral registration.
In this process, the CNE has violated procedure and committed several irregularities. It did not convene the principal members, substituted alternates at the last minute, and above all, produced a legal report that does not correspond to reality.
According to that report, Popular Unity supposedly lost approximately 170,000 members, leaving it with just over 30,000 and therefore below the minimum required to retain its registration. This is completely false. Popular Unity was legally registered with just over 200,000 members. The electoral body itself issued an official certification a few days ago showing that, over the past four years, only 1,410 withdrawals have occurred.
Throughout this time, we have carried out political actions in the streets and mounted a solid legal defense that has demonstrated the validity of our arguments. However, the president of the CNE, Diana Atamaint, has acted as an instrument of the government’s political strategy.
Daniel Noboa has been promoting a series of measures aimed at weakening opposition forces and the organized people’s movement. There is a clear line of action intended to criminalize social protest. Several grassroots leaders and activists are facing legal proceedings for their participation in mobilizations against the government.
Today, Sunday, April 26, the president of the CNE urgently convened a session to address the situation of Popular Unity, and in a fraudulent manner, the cancellation of its electoral registration was approved.
Four of the five members attended the session. Two voted against the report, while President Diana Atamaint and the pro-government member José Cabrera voted in favor of its approval; which is to say, in favor of eliminating Popular Unity. Faced with a tie, Atamaint used her tie-breaking vote to impose the decision.
We will continue our actions in the streets and our legal defense, as there are still legal avenues available to us. We understand that this is a complex political battle, as we are confronting a decision by the oligarchic government of Daniel Noboa, supported by sectors that have historically seen, and rightly so, Popular Unity and the actions of our Party as a threat to their interests.
We call on sister organizations to contribute to the international denunciation of this authoritarian and anti-democratic measure and to promote acts of solidarity in defense of the struggle of workers and the Ecuadorian people.
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