Ecuador Arrests Ex-Presidential Candidate Gonzalez

Ecuadorian police have arrested former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez on Thursday over an investigation into alleged illegal financing of her 2023 election campaign.

According to AFP, authorities have not confirmed whether the arrest is linked to claims that she received funds from Venezuela during her first presidential campaign.

The public prosecutor’s office announced that it would charge three people over their alleged involvement in money laundering. It identified the detainees by their initials, including L.M.G.A., which match Gonzalez’s full name, Luisa Magdalena Gonzalez Alcivar.

The prosecutor’s office said it was investigating suspected irregularities in political financing and campaign advertising during the 2023 presidential election. It cited inconsistencies in campaign contributions and questions about the legal origins of the funds.

Gonzalez has denied receiving money from Venezuela’s former leader, Nicolas Maduro. She is a lawyer and an ally of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. She lost to right-wing President Daniel Noboa in both the 2023 and 2025 presidential elections. Correa, who governed Ecuador from 2007 to 2017, condemned Gonzalez’s arrest on X. He now lives in exile in Belgium.

“Luisa Gonzalez has been arrested. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!” he wrote.

Gonzalez remains a leading member of the Citizen Revolution Movement, a political party aligned with Correa. The party has been barred from taking part in mayoral and prefectural elections scheduled for November.

Noboa is a close ally of US President Donald Trump, whose administration has pursued a campaign against drug traffickers in Latin America. Noboa has also stepped up pressure on opposition groups since winning re-election in 2025.

The investigation into Gonzalez’s campaign financing comes following continued political tensions in Ecuador. However, authorities have yet to establish whether the alleged funding irregularities are directly linked to her arrest.