ECUADOR · POLITICS AND SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country Ecuador, a main cocaine route to the United States and Europe, is led by President Daniel Noboa.
- What happened Noboa’s party dropped Naranjal mayor Juan Carlos Rivera on Thursday 29 October 2026 over a recording.
- The claim In the recording, a voice said to be Rivera’s says gang-linked brothers control his town hall.
- The vote Local elections for mayors and other local posts are set for Sunday 29 November 2026.
- Legal status No court has ruled on the claims, and Rivera calls the release a dirty campaign.
- Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
Ecuador’s governing party withdrew its support on Thursday 29 October 2026 from Juan Carlos Rivera, the mayor of Naranjal, after a recording was published in which he appears to say that a criminal family runs his town hall. The party, Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), is led by conservative President Daniel Noboa.
For US readers, the case shows how deeply drug gangs reach into local government in a country that sends cocaine north and is a close security partner of Washington. Our guide to who holds power in Ecuador explains the parties now fighting for local office.
What Happened
ADN said it was pulling its political backing from Rivera and starting to remove him from the party under its ethics manual. In its statement the party said that it does not cover up for anyone, and it asked oversight bodies to keep investigating.
Rivera has been mayor since 2023, and he is ADN’s candidate for re-election. Naranjal is a town in Guayas province, in the south-west of Ecuador.
What the Recording Says
The recording was published on Thursday by Andersson Boscán, a journalist who runs a daily show on social media. In it, a voice attributed to Rivera says he does not really command his municipality and is at the mercy of brothers who control organized crime in the area.
In one line quoted in Ecuadorian media, the voice says he is the boss but that the finance and legal officials of the town hall are being threatened with a gun to the head. Boscán says the Ochoa brothers, who he claims are allied with the gang Los Lobos, have taken over the municipal administration.
Who Is Los Lobos
Los Lobos is an Ecuadorian criminal gang that local media call the most powerful in the country. Ecuador’s gangs compete over drug routes, mining and extortion, and the recording, if genuine, would show that this pressure also reaches town halls.
The recording does not prove that the brothers named by Boscán are members of the gang. It is also not clear when the recording was made.
The Mayor Answers
Rivera answered in a video on social media and called the attacks against him a dirty campaign. We found no statement in which he confirms or denies that the voice is his.
No prosecutor had announced a case against him by Friday evening. Ecuadorian law treats him as innocent unless a court decides otherwise.
What It Means for You
If you do business in Ecuador, from banana exports to shrimp, the case shows why security in coastal towns and ports is a risk to plan for. Travelers should follow the US State Department advice for Ecuador, which we do not change here, and avoid unnecessary trips to small coastal towns.
Voters choose mayors and other local officials on Sunday 29 November 2026. A scandal that touches the governing party a month before the vote may shape how ADN does outside the big cities.
What Is Not Known
The recording has not been verified, and it is not known who made it. Boscán says a lawyer who was killed in Guayaquil on Tuesday passed it to him, which we could not confirm.
It is also unknown whether prosecutors will open a case, or whether Rivera will stay on the ballot.The party has not said whether he can still run for re-election, and no election authority had commented by Friday evening.
Whether other mayors face similar pressure from gangs has not been shown.
More: Ecuador news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is the Naranjal Mayor?
Juan Carlos Rivera has led Naranjal, a town in Guayas province, since 2023. He is ADN’s candidate for re-election in the local elections.
Why Did Noboa’s Party Drop Him?
A recording attributed to Rivera says gang-linked brothers control his town hall. ADN withdrew its support on 29 October 2026 and began removing him from the party.
When Are Ecuador’s Local Elections?
Voters choose mayors and other local officials on Sunday 29 November 2026. Candidates are campaigning now, a month before the vote.
Sources: National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), local elections calendar, 30 October 2026; Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), party statement withdrawing support from the mayor of Naranjal, 29 October 2026; Presidency of Ecuador, government communications, 30 October 2026; Municipality of Naranjal, Guayas province, council records of the 2023-2027 term.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error