Zamora changes his mind and will leave the mayor’s office; Petition drive to recall Noboa is announced; Gasoline and diesel prices are rising again

Mayor Cristian Zamora announced Thursday that he will leave office when the Contentious Electoral Tribunal (TCE) order suspending his political rights is delivered to the municipal council. The announcement was a reversal of the mayor’s Wednesday position that the court order only prohibited him from seeking reelection and did remove him from office.

Zamora said he made the decision based on conversations with family and advisors. Vice Mayor Marisol Peñaloza will assume his duties during his six-month suspension, he said.

Cuenca Vice Mayor Marisol Peñaloza

The suspension of political rights ordered by the TCE was based on a complaint of “gender political violence” filed by municipal Councilwoman Diana González.

In his press conference, Zamora repeated his disagreement with the TCE decision, claiming it was based on his opposition to the Loma Larga gold mine in Quimsacocha. Earlier, he said that the court was “under the thumb” of President Daniel Noboa, who was forced to cancel the mining project following a protest by more than 100,000 Cuencanos in September 2025.

Following Zamora’s statement, Peñaloza called for “unity in the municipal council and for the citizens of Cuenca.”

Petition drive to recall Noboa begins
Several social and indigenous organizations notified the National Electoral Council (CNE) Wednesday that they are beginning a petition drive to have President Daniel Noboa removed from office.

Under the constitution, an election to remove a president is mandated if 15% of registered voters sign recall petitions.

Washington Andrade, the attorney representing the Confederation of Peoples of the Kichwa Nationality, read a list of charges against Noboa that included “neglect of public health care, education and national infrastructure,” and the “unjustified restriction on civil rights of the people.”

Andrade said supporters of the recall effort are confident they can collect the necessary signatures from voters. “Recent polls indicate that more than 65% of Ecuadorians oppose the president’s policies and the direction that the government has taken,” he said. “In one year, since his 2025 election, his public approval has fallen by 30%.”

Gasoline and diesel increase again
The government said Wednesday that the price for Extra and Ecopaís gasoline and diesel fuel will increase 5% on Friday, June 12. It is the fourth consecutive monthly price hike.

Extra and Ecopaís gasoline, the most popular fuel for motorists, will increase to $3.31 from the May price of $3.16 a gallon, while diesel will cost $3.25, up from $3.10.

Cost of a gallon of Super Premium gasoline, which is not subject to the 5% adjustment limit, will increase to $5.90 from the current $4.81.

The National Chamber of Petroleum Distributors blamed the ongoing fuel price hikes on the war in the Middle East and said prices will continue to increase until that conflict ends.