LatinNews Daily - 29 September 2025

*Ecuador’s 151-member national assembly has approved a bill presented last month by President Daniel Noboa which is aimed at “urgently reforming the financial system of the bank of the Ecuadorean social security institute (Biess)”. Approved by 77 votes in favour on 26 August, the bill states that “private social security funds that are currently administered by the Biess will return to their “true owners” – pensioners and social security affiliates. The Biess will also be given increased powers to liquidate unproductive trusts or reactivate those which are viable. The bill was one of five categorised as being of “economic urgency” by President Noboa, meaning that legislators must vote on it within 30 days. Also on 26 August, the constitutional court (CC) declared unconstitutional two other key laws, a national solidarity law and a law of public integrity, articles of which it had already suspended last month, sparking a clash with President Noboa. The CC also ruled that the referendum due to take place on 16 November may include a question on whether to permit gambling in five-star hotels. However, it rejected aspects of other proposed questions including one which sought to prohibit the use of the name, image, or support of those convicted for corruption in electoral campaigns. This would have affected former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), the leader of Revolución Ciudadana (RC), the second-largest party in congress, who, in 2020, was sentenced in absentia for corruption. The court’s rulings look set to heighten tensions with President Noboa as he faces violent protests linked to the ongoing national strike called by the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie) umbrella indigenous organisation. Yesterday (28 September) Conaie reported that one of its members had been killed after being shot at by the military on the Panamericana Norte highway.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 296 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial