Amnesty International has called on Ecuador’s presidential candidates to address human rights concerns if elected. The call came in an open letter released Friday ahead of the tie-breaking run-off vote due to take place on April 13. In recent years, many international bodies have raised concerns around potential human rights violations in the country.

February 9th’s presidential election resulted in a tie between President Daniel Noboa, who has held office since November 2023, and Luisa González. Various rule of law and human rights concerns have emerged during Noboa’s presidency. In May 2024, President Noboa issued a new, localized, 60-day state of emergency even though the Constitutional Court ruled that the previous one was unconstitutional. Throughout 2024, there have been allegations of mass arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances.

In May 2024, Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote a letter expressing concern around Noboa’s announcement of an “internal armed conflict”, which it believed “lacked legal basis” and opened “the door to human rights violations.” It urged the government to respond with policy that respects human rights.

In December 2024, an incident involving the forced disappearance of four boys between the ages of 11 and 15 occurred at the hands of the military. The Human Rights Commission filed a petition to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, while the government denied the allegations.

Amnesty International’s letter explicitly mentions the allegations of forced disappearances and other allegations of human rights abuses and asks that the candidates address these concerns through human rights-compliant policy. The letter says:

In the face of allegations of forced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in military operations, what will you do to guarantee that your security policies respect human rights? In the face of reports of possible acts of torture committed in prisons, what will you do to address the prison crises?…

The final presidential debate between the two candidates is scheduled for March 23, with the tie-breaking vote set to take place on April 13.