Justicia Social Movement: a brief account of its struggle towards an electoral race

The Social Justice political movement is struggling to participate in the February 7, 2021 elections with Álvaro Noboa as the presidential candidate. But, so far it is not defined whether or not it will appear on the presidential ballot. Like his candidates for the National Assembly and Andean Parliament.

Social Justice Movement: a brief account of its struggle towards an electoral race

This political group was created by Jimmy Salazar, former president of the Guayas Bar Association and now the face that most represents is that of Noboa.

Social Justice, although it has a short political life, has been in the forefront of public opinion due to several events that have marked its little history.

Here is a timeline detailing these events:

June 18, 2020
Comptroller’s Conclusions

Social Justice was registered in the Registry of Political Organizations on November 13, 2017. In August 2019, in an interim report, the Comptroller’s Office recommended that the National Electoral Council (CNE) annul its legal status for not having the number of signatures to be enrolled. This was confirmed in a final report on June 18, 2020.

July 19, 2020
Electoral Council begins review

The CNE, with the votes of Diana Atamaint, José Cabrera and Esthela Acero, begins a review phase of the administrative actions in the registration of Social Justice. They issue precautionary measures and the movement cannot carry out political activities. They go to the Contentious Electoral Tribunal (TCE) and it revokes these measures on August 14.

20-August-2020
Movement is activated

Social Justice is reactivated. They hold primary elections on August 20 and elect Fabricio Correa and Marcia Yazbek as presidential binomial. Both accept nominations on September 2; and, on September 21, they resign to participate. The group, without success, tried to register Carlos Cassanello and Marien Segura minutes before October 7.

16-September-2020
Council resolves to extinguish them

The CNE accepts the recommendations of the Comptroller’s Office and nullifies the legal status of Social Justice. On September 18, the movement, through its director, Jimmy Salazar, presented a contentious subjective appeal before the TCE. On October 6, the first instance judge, Arturo Cabrera, declared the CNE’s resolution null and void.

October 30, 2020
Reparation measures

The TCE rejects an appeal by Diana Atamaint, head of the CNE, to the sentence of Arturo Cabrera. But the plenary session modifies that ruling and issues comprehensive reparation measures so that the movement has “all” the spaces and times to carry out internal democracy, registration and qualification of candidates for the general elections.

November 5, 2020
Deadlines for movement open

The CNE resolves that Social Justice carry out internal elections in 9 provinces and 3 missing foreign constituencies in 5 days; 2 days to accept applications and 8 days to register. In that period, on November 7, the political group entered the documentation to register Álvaro Noboa and Gino Cornejo as presidential binomial.

11-November-2020
They report anomalies

The CNE annuls its resolution of November 5 by a motion of the member Luis Verdesoto. It is allowed to continue the qualification of candidates already registered, not new ones. The counselor announced possible anomalies “due to a match sale.” This is because Sylka Sánchez, a member of the defunct Adelante Ecuatoriano Adelante party, is the new “spokesperson” for Social Justice.

November 19, 2020
TCE puts pressure on the CNE

At the request of Social Justice, on November 19 the TCE orders the Electoral Council to comply with its ruling. Sylka Sánchez files a complaint for contempt with the Prosecutor’s Office against the members of the CNE. Meanwhile, on November 26, Judge Cabrera asks the electoral body for information to review where primary elections were held to choose candidates in the group.

December 8, 2020
Measures are extended to the CNE

The TCE issues a new opinion modifying the reparation measures of October 30 so that the CNE will let Social Justice hold primary elections where it did not; to register all applications without prejudice to validating those that are qualified and firm, and to qualify new applications.

December 14, 2020
CNE refuses to abide by ruling

The CNE decides that the reparation measures violate the principle of estoppel. He asks the ECA to revoke the order of December 8 and not “interfere” with its powers. Announces a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court. Judge Arturo Cabrera asks his colleagues to take legal action because “it is useless” to wait for them to comply with the sentence.

December 15, 2020
Directors reported

Jimmy Salazar denounces before the TCE for electoral infraction the four members of the CNE for not complying with the comprehensive reparation measures. The complaint was admitted for processing by Judge Ángel Torres, who in turn denounced, without naming names, that the councilors met with political leaders to prevent Social Justice from registering candidates.

17-December-2020
Judges denounced

The members Enrique Pita and Luis Verdesoto denounce the judges of the TCE for prevarication for their ruling of October 30. The Prosecutor’s Office, with the permission of the Court of Justice, announces on December 18 that it will investigate the complaints. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also requests information from the State regarding the registration of Noboa. (I)