Ecuador's Luisa Gonzalez arrested in Laberinto campaign finance probe
Prosecutors are investigating alleged irregularities in the financing of Gonzalez's 2023 presidential campaign, which her party denounces as political persecution.
At a glance
- Ecuadorian opposition leader Luisa Gonzalez was arrested over alleged irregularities in financing her 2023 presidential campaign.
- Prosecutors executed arrest warrants against three people suspected of money laundering; seven people are under investigation.
- Gonzalez's Citizen Revolution Movement and ex-president Rafael Correa call the arrest political persecution.
Ecuadorian opposition leader Luisa Gonzalez has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the financing of her 2023 presidential campaign, the country's Attorney General's Office said. Local media reported on Thursday that Gonzalez, a left-wing politician and ally of former President Rafael Correa, was detained in Canuto, a rural town in western Ecuador.
The attorney general's office said it had executed arrest warrants against three people suspected of money laundering, and that seven people in all are under investigation over inconsistencies in the campaign's contributions and in whether the funds behind them were lawfully obtained.
Investigators are examining whether a network of entities was used to channel about $500,000 for campaign advertising between May and August 2023. Prosecutors allege the money may have been transferred improperly, with the origins of the funds and the identities of contributors left undisclosed.
The case, known as Laberinto, follows an earlier investigation into alleged irregular campaign financing. Authorities have previously examined claims that money brought from Venezuela was used to fund Gonzalez's 2023 bid. Gonzalez has denied wrongdoing.
Gonzalez and allies respond
In a post on X, Gonzalez described the accusations as "absurd" and compared her situation to that of a political prisoner. She urged supporters to unite in pursuit of democracy against what she called the "Noboa dictatorship".
"I will respond with the dignity of Ecuadorians who owe nothing and who are committed to achieving freedom for Ecuador and a better future for the country," she wrote.
Gabriela Rivadeneira, president of the Citizen Revolution Movement, of which Gonzalez is a member, denounced the arrest as political persecution and demanded her immediate release. Correa, president from 2007 to 2017, also rejected the allegations, calling the case persecution. "Luisa Gonzalez has been arrested. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!" he wrote on X.
Political context
Gonzalez, a lawyer and former member of Ecuador's National Assembly, lost presidential elections to right-wing President Daniel Noboa in both 2023 and 2025. In their April 2025 run-off, Noboa won more than 55 percent of the vote; Gonzalez rejected the result as fraudulent and demanded a recount. Noboa's government accused her political movement of conspiring with criminal groups to plot attacks against him.
Noboa, a close ally of United States President Donald Trump, has cracked down on the opposition since winning re-election. In March, the Citizen Revolution Movement was suspended from participating in local elections scheduled for November 29.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why was Luisa Gonzalez arrested?
- She was detained under the Laberinto case, an investigation into alleged irregularities in the financing of her 2023 presidential campaign. Prosecutors executed arrest warrants against three people suspected of money laundering.
- Who is Luisa Gonzalez?
- A left-wing Ecuadorian lawyer, former National Assembly member and ally of ex-president Rafael Correa. She lost presidential elections to Daniel Noboa in both 2023 and 2025.
- What has Gonzalez said about the arrest?
- She called the accusations absurd and compared her situation to that of a political prisoner. Her party, the Citizen Revolution Movement, has demanded her immediate release.
