Event Summary
Through Executive Decrees 148 of 19 September 2025 (later repealed) and 153 of 20 September 2025, President Daniel Noboa called for a popular consultation with the aim of initiating the drafting of a new Constitution. However, by failing to first consult the Constitutional Court on the admissibility of this initiative before submitting it to the National Electoral Council, the President did not comply with the legally established procedure. Noboa’s actions are interpreted as an attempt to undermine the rule of law under the pretext of combating insecurity.
The Foro por la Democracia, a collective composed of experts and academics from across the country, expressed its opposition to President Noboa’s actions and filed a constitutional challenge against the Executive Decree. The collective argued that bypassing the Constitutional Court in order to initiate a constituent process constitutes an attempt to circumvent the democratic institutional order. In response, the President downplayed the Forum’s opinion on social media.
It should be noted that on 20 September 2025, the National Electoral Council decided to forward Executive Decree 153 to the Constitutional Court for consideration, despite this being the President’s responsibility.