Court ruling bars Zamora from seeking reelection but he insists he will remain in office

Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora will not be a candidate for reelection in the November 29 election but it is unclear if he will be able to remain in office. On Tuesday night, the Contentious Electoral Tribunal (TCE) rejected Zamora’s appeal of the six-month suspension of political rights ruling handed down May 28 by Judge Joaquín Vera.

Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora

The suspension of rights is based on a complaint of “gender political violence” filed against him by Cuenca Municipal Councilwoman Diana González. The complaint lists “slanderous, hurtful and offensive” statements Zamora made about González in radio interviews and on social media. The six-month suspension includes the November 29 election.

“I accept this decision in peace, as does my family, even though we don’t agree with it,” Zamora said Wednesday morning. He added that he plans to carry out his duties as mayor until the end of his term, in May 2027. “I will continue to work with my team until my last day in office with the objective of making this great city even greater.”

Most legal experts, however, say that the suspension of political rights require Zamora to leave office after the TCE order has been received and processed by the Labor Ministry and the Cuenca municipal council. They also admit that the council, where Zamora enjoys majority support, could refuse to act on the order.

“Under the law and once the proper procedures are executed, the mayor must step aside from his position as mayor of Cuenca for six months and cannot resume his duties until that period ends in January,” according to elections legal expert Mónica Bolaños. She adds that Zamora’s claim that the TCE ruling only bars him from running for reelection is incorrect.

Former Azuay Province court administrator Juan Darquea agrees but says the process to remove Zamora from office “will take some time” and could be complicated. “After the Labor Ministry receives and legalizes the TCE ruling, it must officially notify the city council, which will then consider a suspension,” he says. “He will remain in office until the council acts on the order.”

Attorney Julio Cabrera disagrees that the order suspends Zamora from his mayoral duties. “The suspension of political participation rights does not automatically mean he must leave office as mayor,” Cabrera says. “He is prohibited from participating in the election but not from remaining in office. This is described in Article 61 of the constitution.”

Like Bolaños and Darquea, Cabrera says the “final result” will be determined by the municipal council.

In upholding Vera’s decision, the full TCE said that Zamora’s “right to due process” had not been violated and that the punishment and reparations ordered in the original ruling were justified.

In addition to losing his right to run for reelection, Zamora must pay a fine $12,050 and delete all comments about González from his personal and official social media accounts.