The American Association of Jurists (AAJ) has demanded the immediate release of former Ecuadorian presidential candidate Luisa González, who remains in pretrial detention as part of the Labyrinth case—an investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the financing of the 2023 presidential campaign of the Citizen Revolution (RC) movement.
RELATED:
Ecuador Opposition Figure Luisa González Challenges Arrest
In a statement released on October 26, the organization described the opposition leader’s detention as arbitrary and questioned the precautionary measure, which was imposed just over a month before Ecuador’s local elections, scheduled for November 29.
The AAJ maintained that pretrial detention must be justified by specific procedural risks, such as the risk of flight or the potential to obstruct an investigation. According to the association, González had remained available to the judicial authorities since a raid conducted in January 2026; she had kept them informed of her international travel, returned to the country, and was subsequently arrested at her home.
“In the absence of a procedural risk, this measure functions as a preemptive sentence,” the organization stated, citing both the Ecuadorian Constitution and Inter-American jurisprudence to argue that the deprivation of liberty prior to a conviction should be an exceptional measure.
The AAJ also denounced the use of ongoing investigations—in which no verdict has been reached—as tools for electoral exclusion, noting that González’s detention occurs within a broader context of decisions that, in the organization’s view, restrict democratic competition.
⭕️ #ATENCIÓN | La Asociación Americana de Juristas condenó la detención de @LuisaGonzalezEc y exigió su libertad inmediata. La organización denunció el uso de la prisión preventiva y de investigaciones sin sentencia como mecanismos de exclusión electoral y alertó sobre la… pic.twitter.com/KaV7c1Tb36
— Radio Pichincha (@radio_pichincha) October 25, 2026
The text reads, “The American Association of Jurists condemned the detention of @LuisaGonzalezEc and demanded her immediate release. The organization denounced the use of pretrial detention and investigations without a sentence as mechanisms of electoral exclusion and warned about the proscription of the opposition in Ecuador. The AAJ will bring the case before the IACHR and UN organizations.”
In its statement, the association linked González’s case to a series of actions taken against opposition organizations and figures. These include the temporary suspension of the Citizen Revolution, the deregistration of other political parties, the suspension of the AMIGO movement, and the rejection of González’s candidacy.
The organization also pointed to the raid on the Quito municipal government offices and the decision to move up the date of the elections. According to the AAJ, these actions constitute a pattern of suppressing the political opposition in Ecuador. The organization argued that the American Convention on Human Rights limits the restriction of political rights and prohibits the suspension—even during states of emergency—of the judicial guarantees essential for their protection.
Furthermore, the legal organization announced that it will bring the case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
Additionally, it called on electoral observation missions to assess the conditions for fair competition in the elections scheduled for November 29. The statement was signed by Claudia V. Rocca, president of the AAJ Continental, and Vanessa Ramos, the organization’s secretary-general.
#Ecuador | Former President Rafael Correa denounced the arrest of Luisa Gonzalez, a former presidential candidate and a leading figure in the Citizen Revolution movement.https://t.co/X40VSCtbKF
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 23, 2026
Ecuadorian opposition leader Luisa González’s arrest has prompted her lawyers to accuse President Daniel Noboa’s government of selective prosecution, citing alleged procedural violations and inconsistencies in the financial evidence underpinning the case.
RELATED: Ecuador Transfers Luisa González to Riobamba Prison
González, a former presidential candidate and leading figure in the Revolución Ciudadana movement, was arrested on Oct. 22. Her lawyer, Diego Guarderas, disputes the allegations linked to campaign finances and argues that authorities have treated similar cases involving the ruling party differently.
In an interview with CNN, Guarderas questioned figures attributed to Ecuador’s Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE), which he said changed at different stages of the investigation. According to the defense, the amounts cited ranged from $6,000 to $500,000 and $700,000, while the technical report recorded $204,000.
Bajo una fuerte granizada, la militancia de Revolución Ciudadana se mantiene en los exteriores de la Unidad de Flagrancia tras la retención de la líder política Luisa González.#Ecuador #Noboa #Alerta #Luisa #teleSUR pic.twitter.com/v4MHVWnSzN
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) October 22, 2026
Text Reads: Under a heavy hailstorm, the militants of Revolución Ciudadana remain outside the Flagrancy Unit following the detention of political leader Luisa González.
The legal team argues that discrepancies in campaign accounting have been treated as evidence of money laundering without sufficient technical justification. Guarderas maintains that the shifting figures undermine the legal basis of the accusations against González.
He also pointed to what he described as unequal treatment of campaign-finance irregularities. Ecuador’s National Electoral Council identified inconsistencies exceeding $408,000 in the campaign of Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), Noboa’s party. According to the defense, prosecutors have not opened an investigation into those findings.
González’s lawyers have also challenged the procedures leading to her arrest. They say she was informed of the charges only 30 minutes before the hearing at which they were formally presented.
The defense further disputes the jurisdiction of the judges who presided over the hearing, arguing that they failed to account for the provincial jurisdictional privilege of other defendants in the case.
Her legal team has also challenged her transfer from Quito to a prison in Riobamba, about four hours from the capital. Guarderas said a judicial order had required González to remain in Quito to protect the rights of her minor child and her father, who has kidney disease.
Convocan plantón en la Fiscalía en Quito, Ecuador, contra el Gobierno del presidente Daniel Noboa. Legisladores exigen el cese de la persecución política y reclaman información sobre el paradero de Luisa González, exigiendo justicia y debido proceso. 🇪🇨📢 #Ecuador #Quito #teleSUR… pic.twitter.com/F5DK2JzoDV
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) October 22, 2026
Text Reads: Protest rally called at the Prosecutor’s Office in Quito, Ecuador, against the Government of President Daniel Noboa. Lawmakers demand an end to political persecution and request information on the whereabouts of Luisa González, calling for justice and due process.
Despite the order, authorities moved her during a nighttime operation, which Guarderas described as clandestine. He argued that the transfer obstructed the preparation of her defense and violated the judge’s instructions.
Revolución Ciudadana has described the case as political persecution intended to weaken the opposition and prevent González from competing politically. Guarderas likewise accused Noboa’s administration of using judicial proceedings to target prominent opponents.
These allegations remain the position of González’s defense and have not been independently established in the information available for this report.
González’s lawyers said they would file legal challenges seeking to reverse her transfer and report the alleged violations of due process. The case remains before Ecuador’s courts, with the defense contesting both the financial evidence and the procedures that led to her arrest and imprisonment.
Ecuadorian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Luisa González was transferred to a prison in Riobamba on Friday night after a judge ordered her pretrial detention over alleged money laundering in the so-called Labyrinth case.
RELATED: Ecuador Prosecutors Seek Preventive Detention for Leftist Leader Luisa Gonzalez
A convoy of National Police and Armed Forces personnel arrived outside the detention center in Riobamba, in Chimborazo province, shortly after 9 p.m. local time on Oct. 23. Prison authorities had not officially confirmed González’s admission to the women’s facility at the time of the report.
The transfer began shortly after 4 p.m. from the Modelo barracks in Guayaquil, where González had been taken following her arrest Thursday in Canuto, Manabí province. Police transported her to an air base before she boarded a flight that landed at Latacunga airport in Cotopaxi province at 7:30 p.m.
Although initial reports indicated that González would be held at a prison in Cotopaxi or Quito, police ultimately arranged for her to travel by road to Riobamba in a heavily guarded convoy accompanied by patrol cars and tactical units.
Text Reads: 🛬 Luisa González, former presidential candidate for the Citizen Revolution (Revolución Ciudadana) movement, arrived at Cotopaxi Airport under the escort of military and police personnel, hours after a judge ordered her pretrial detention.
⚖️ This measure relates to alleged money laundering, as part of the “Laberinto” (Labyrinth) case. González was taken into custody early Thursday morning following a raid on her home in Chone, Manabí.
🏛️ The State Attorney General’s Office maintained its request for pretrial detention, which also applies to former assembly member Santiago Díaz and Wendy Onofre, secretary of the RETO movement.
📌 These judicial actions are part of a broader agenda of political persecution being carried out by the administration of Daniel Noboa against opposition figures and leaders.
The use of air transport for part of the journey was intended to reduce public-order risks amid tensions at several prisons across Ecuador. Interior Minister John Reimberg directly linked the unrest to reactions to González’s arrest.
González, the former leader of the Citizen Revolution movement, has rejected the allegations against her. The movement and her associates denounced the pretrial detention order as an act of lawfare and political persecution.
In a statement posted on social media, González reaffirmed her innocence and declared that she would remain in Ecuador to face the judicial proceedings.
Supporters gathered outside the Riobamba prison to hold a vigil, carrying flags and banners behind a security barrier erected by uniformed personnel. Patricia Núñez, a member of the National Assembly representing Chimborazo province, joined the gathering.
The court also ordered pretrial detention for former lawmaker Santiago D. and Wendy Onofre, secretary of the RETO movement, in connection with the same case. Onofre voluntarily surrendered in Guayas province and was admitted shortly after 8 p.m. to the Pichincha No. 3 detention center in Chillogallo, southern Quito.
Another defendant, Estefanía M., was granted alternative measures for the 90-day investigation period, including regular reporting to authorities, a ban on leaving the country and electronic monitoring.
On Friday, Prosecutor General’s Office requested preventive detention for leftist former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez, who was arrested on Thursday over the alleged irregular handling of funds from the 2023 election campaign.
RELATED:
Luisa Gonzalez Denounces Political Persecution After Detention in Ecuador
Prosecutors requested that she be provisionally held in prison while proceedings against Gonzalez continue. She is accused of the alleged crime of money laundering.
The case comes five weeks before subnational elections in Ecuador, an Andean country where Citizens Revolution, the main opposition force to the U.S.-backed President Daniel Noboa, has denounced judicial persecution of progressive politicians and activists.
The hearing to present charges against Gonzalez is taking place while the leftist leader remains detained at Model Barracks in Guayaquil. She was transferred there after being arrested in the early hours of Thursday at her home in Canuto, a rural locality in the province of Manabi.
During the same hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office also requested preventive detention for two other defendants in the case: former lawmaker Santiago Diaz, a Correista whose testimony prompted the investigation, and Wendy Onofre, a former official with the Municipality of Guayaquil under the administration of now-imprisoned Mayor Aquiles Alvarez.
The initial investigation into Gonzalez gained momentum in March following unsubstantiated testimony from Diaz, who was arrested and accused of raping a minor. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison in that case.
Diaz said he had allegedly brought cash from Venezuela on the orders of former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) to finance Gonzalez’s campaign in the 2023 snap presidential election.
The Prosecutor General’s Office is seeking to establish whether the campaign also received money from a company owned by Aquiles Alvarez, another opponent of Noboa who became mayor of Guayaquil in 2023 with the support of Citizens Revolution, Correa’s party.
Alvarez is currently imprisoned and faces two convictions, one of them for the illegal sale of fuel through service stations he owns with his family.
Luisa Gonzalez was the Correismo candidate in the 2023 and 2025 presidential elections, losing to Noboa in the runoff in both contests.
Investigations targeting Citizens Revolution have led to the party’s suspension, barring it from participating in local elections scheduled for Nov. 29.
The US-backed right-wing narco-dictatorship in Ecuador has arrested presidential candidate Luisa González, from the leftist Correísta movement, on fabricated charges.
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) October 23, 2026
This came after Ecuador's narco-regime banned the main left-wing opposition party.
Ecuador is run by dictator… pic.twitter.com/h4Hzkmc2aX
FDIM Demands Gonzalez’s Release
On Thursday night, the Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM) demanded the immediate release of Ecuadorian former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez.
“We denounce before the international community the kidnapping of our comrade Luisa Gonzalez, former candidate for the Presidency of Ecuador, by the fascist regime of Daniel Noboa,” the FDIM said.
“The capture of Luisa is part of the repressive plans of the Ecuadorian government, which intends to subdue, through repression, imprisonment, and kidnapping, all those who demonstrate against corruption and the government’s submission to Trump’s dictates.
“We demand respect for their physical and moral integrity. We demand the immediate release of Luisa Gonzalez, Jorge Glass, and all political prisoners,” the FDIM stated.
The legal proceedings against Gonzalez come weeks after the Electoral Disputes Tribunal upheld her political disqualification, preventing her from registering as a candidate for the Manabi provincial prefecture.
Before these events, the former presidential candidate herself had denounced foreign pressure and the recurring use of lawfare as methods to silence progressive social and political leaders.
Following her arrest, Gonzalez addressed the public, rejecting the allegations made by the Prosecutor General’s Office, describing the accusation against her as absurd and asserting that her case was part of a political persecution campaign driven by the Noboa administration.
In her statement, the opposition leader called on progressive organizations and the Citizens Revolution movement to unite to restore democracy in the country. She also thanked those who had expressed support for her nationwide.
“Sooner or later, the silence will explode in every corner of the country, and we will achieve the long-awaited democracy,” she said.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE – FDIM
Former President Rafael Correa (2007–2017) posted on X in the early hours of the morning in Ecuador that Luisa González, a two-time presidential candidate (2023 and 2025) for the Citizen Revolution (RC) party, had been arrested. “They arrested Luisa González. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” wrote the former progressive leader.
The National Police confirmed this to the media outlet PRIMICIAS. González was reportedly arrested on suspicion of money laundering. The National Prosecutor’s Office also confirmed this, reporting that the arrest is related to alleged irregularities in political financing and campaign spending in 2023.
González, who advanced to the runoff in both elections and lost both times to the current president, right-wing candidate Daniel Noboa, has repeatedly claimed that the legal proceedings against her are part of a broader campaign of political persecution targeting anyone who criticizes the current government.
A few hours after his arrest, González wrote on X: “We have reached an untenable situation. Noboa’s dictatorship has not only led our beloved country into economic disaster, with rampant violence and corruption, but attacks on civil liberties and political persecution are a constant reality. The dictatorship’s political prisoners are being mistreated and tortured.”
She added: “Today it is my turn to be arrested on an absurd charge. I will respond with the dignity of Ecuadorians who owe nothing and who are committed to securing Ecuador’s freedom and a better future for the country.”
In January 2026, the prosecutor’s office and the police raided Luisa González’s home as part of the case known as “Caja Chica,” which was investigating an alleged money laundering offense. The prosecutor’s office claimed there was evidence of money flowing in from Venezuela to fund González’s 2023 election campaign.
In August, González said she had been notified of a preliminary investigation into the alleged crime of demanding acts that entail receiving undue benefits.
In September, González was again notified by the Prosecutor’s Office of her inclusion in a preliminary investigation into an alleged crime of failure to report a crime due to her profession, position, or occupation – that is, for allegedly failing to report a crime in the course of her professional duties.
In all three cases, the former presidential candidate and leader of the largest opposition party has denounced these actions as political persecution carried out through the judicial system: “The harassment and persecution don’t stop, but neither does my hope for a better country. Giving up is not an option.”
In addition, González, who intended to run for the office of prefect of Manabí in the upcoming regional elections in November, was unable to register her candidacy due to a refusal by the electoral oversight bodies, citing alleged mismanagement of administrative matters.
The RC once again denounced this obstacle as part of a broader campaign of political persecution aimed at preventing opposition candidates who might win their positions in the elections from participating, whether through administrative sanctions or criminal proceedings.
Thus, according to these allegations, the government has managed to co-opt several oversight institutions with the power to impose sanctions—such as the prosecutor’s office and the electoral courts – and is using them to persecute and prevent the participation of opposition politicians who have a chance of challenging the executive branch for power.
For his part, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has repeatedly denied that his administration has been behind the accusations, sanctions, and arrests targeting his opponents, and he asserted that these are proceedings carried out by institutions independent of his government. “We do not target individuals; we have no interest in targeting individuals – we pursue criminals. There is no political persecution of any kind here,” the Ecuadorian president said in early 2026.
Despite these statements, the opposition remains steadfast in its accusations against the Ecuadorian president, especially following cases in which mayors of the country’s largest cities – Guayaquil, Cuenca, and Quito, the capital – have faced imprisonment, criminal proceedings, and ongoing judicial investigations.
The most notorious case in Ecuador involves the mayor of Guayaquil (the country’s most populous city), opposition figure Aquiles Álvarez, who was arrested and imprisoned in a maximum-security prison several months ago on charges of illegal hydrocarbon trafficking and organized crime.
Similarly, in June 2026, the then-mayor of Cuenca, Cristian Zamora (also a member of the opposition) was suspended by the Contentious-Electoral Court over an alleged case of political violence. For its part, the prosecutor’s office requested that charges be filed against him in September of that same year for an alleged crime of illicit enrichment.
And while there are other high-profile cases in Ecuador, the RC has stated that there is a concerted effort to prevent the current mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñoz (who is seeking reelection) from participating in the electoral process at all costs. Muñoz has so far managed to evade the sanctions and constant accusations against him, but on October 21, the prosecutor’s office and the police raided the mayor’s offices as part of an investigation into an alleged embezzlement offense.
This has led several politicians to believe that the raid is a new ploy to prevent Muñoz—who leads in the polls – from participating in the elections and, even more so, to imprison him, as was done with his party colleague, Aquiles Álvarez. This is what the Prefect of Pichincha, Paola Pabón, said: “People’s lives do not improve by imprisoning opponents; citizens’ circumstances change for the better when there is a political class committed to the common good.”
On Thursday, Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa denounced the arrest of Luisa Gonzalez, a former presidential candidate and one of the leading figures in the Citizen Revolution movement.
RELATED: Ecuadorian Youth Call Protest Over Healthcare and Insecurity
On social media, Correa criticized Gonzalez’s arrest and expressed his disapproval of the measure, accompanying his message with slogans of support for the leader and her political organization.
Andean Parliamentarian Virgilio Hernandez joined in the denunciation, asserting that Gonzalez has been the target of political persecution and expressing concern about the lack of official information regarding her whereabouts following her arrest.
Meanwhile, Ecuadorian media cited police sources who preliminarily “confirmed” the former candidate’s arrest, although authorities had not initially provided complete details about the procedure.
🔴 Gabriela Rivadeneira denuncia el secuestro de Luisa González y exige su liberación inmediata
— Elena Rodríguez Yánez (@ElenaDeQuito) October 22, 2026
La presidenta del movimiento Revolución Ciudadana, Gabriela Rivadeneira, denunció que la excandidata presidencial Luisa González ha sido secuestrada y exigió su inmediata liberación,… pic.twitter.com/77XQVmE70E
The text reads, “Gabriela Rivadeneira, president of the Citizen Revolution, denounced the kidnapping of Luisa Gonzalez and demanded her immediate release, following her arrest in the early hours of Thursday, October 22, in the Ecuadorian province of Manabi.”
The case comes weeks after the Electoral Disputes Tribunal upheld the disqualification that prevented Gonzalez from running for Prefect of Manabi, a decision that was challenged by her supporters and political allies.
Days before her arrest, the leader had publicly denounced international pressure and interference in Latin American political affairs, and warned of what she considers a strategy of judicial persecution against progressive sectors in the region.
The leadership of the Citizen Revolution movement demanded immediate information on Gonzalez’s condition and whereabouts, while also calling for guarantees that her rights will be respected during the ongoing legal proceedings.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Ecuador: Delegations from all provinces participated in the first day of the National Convention of the Citizen Revolution Movement, which was held in Manta, Manabi province. pic.twitter.com/1bGT3DeLKo
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 21, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: teleSUR
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