Fraud in Ecuador? OAS and EU Respond with Official Data

The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) confirmed that the election results in Ecuador are accurate and match the data they collected in their quick count. According to the OAS, the numbers indicate that there will be a second round.

The organization made it clear that the only official results are those published by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and that their role is to observe, not to replace electoral authorities.

No Serious Irregularities Found

The OAS explained that, so far, they have not detected or received evidence of irregularities that could change the results. However, they reminded that any complaints must be submitted to the appropriate authorities.

Looking ahead to the second round, scheduled for April 13, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to continue monitoring the process impartially and in adherence to democratic principles.

The European Union Also Dismisses Fraud

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) election observation mission also confirmed that there was no fraud in the elections. This response comes after allegations made by candidate Luisa González and, after the results were announced, by the current president and re-election candidate, Daniel Noboa.

The head of the EU mission, Gabriel Mato, presented a report in Quito and stated that the elections were “transparent, well-organized, and peaceful”. However, he pointed out some areas for improvement, such as regulating social media advertising, the use of public media, and the separation between government activities and Noboa’s campaign.

Mato emphasized: “We do not have a single piece of evidence that fraud occurred”, dismissing the accusations from González and later from Noboa.

Noboa Alleges Irregularities Without Evidence

President Daniel Noboa claimed there were “many irregularities” in the vote count and alleged that criminal groups threatened people to vote for Luisa González. However, he did not provide evidence for these accusations, though he insisted he had them.

In an interview with Radio Centro, Noboa said he was “proud and grateful” to the Ecuadorian people, asserting that citizens rejected crime, narco-terrorism, and corruption.

With 96.6% of the votes counted, the results show that Noboa obtained 44.16% of the votes, while González secured 43.94%. Despite this, Noboa insisted that his party, Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), is now the “main political force in the country”, despite being only nine months old.

The OAS deployed a mission of over 80 observers to Ecuador, though they have not yet published their preliminary report. The European Union, however, has already released theirs and reiterated that there is no evidence of fraud.

Noboa Challenges the Results

The Ecuadorian president confirmed that he has contested the results and provided information to the OAS and CNE regarding the irregularities he denounces. “Many brave people went and voted for Noboa despite the threats”, he stated.

According to him, he did not speak out earlier because he wanted to analyze the results calmly and review the alleged irregularities.

On April 13, more than 13.7 million Ecuadorians will be called to vote again to elect their next president. So far, international observers have highlighted the peaceful and orderly nature of the electoral process, which saw a turnout of over 83%.