The Presidential Remix: Noboa Relaunches His Consultation As If It Were a DLC
It seems that President Daniel Noboa took the Constitutional Court’s rejection of his first set of questions as a simple “first failed attempt” at a video game. Because this Tuesday, the Ecuadorian government did what any millennial would do when faced with a “game over”: it inserted another coin and pressed “start” again, presenting seven new questions for its long-awaited popular consultation. The move is clear: he wants this plebiscite to take place at the end of the year, because what better way to close 2025 than with a bit of constitutional drama?
Last week, the Court said “hold my beer” to four of the eight original questions, throwing a wrench of legal reality into the party. The most controversial, the one that sought to subject judges to political trials, was discarded because it was considered that, surprise, it compromised judicial independence and broke the system of checks and balances. Basically, they told him that you can’t change the rules of the game just because you’re not doing well.
Revenge Will Be Tweeted: The New Proposals
But Noboa doesn’t give up that easily. In a movement that smacks of “fine, I’ll do it myself”, the president has insisted on his fight with the Constitutional Court. One of the new questions seeks, with all the subtlety of a meme, to limit the power of the high court. The proposal is that to declare the unconstitutionality of a law, six of the nine judges would now need to agree. It’s like wanting to change the rules of soccer so that the goal only counts if seven players score it. Pure strategy, of course, to prevent the initiatives that, according to him, are crucial to combating the violence that plagues the country.
And speaking of controversial initiatives, the Court also said “nope” to the question about chemical castration for child rapists. Given this, the government opted for plan B: proposing the creation of a public registry of people convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Something like a list of shame, but with legal validity. It is not the radical solution that some expected, but it is what is on the menu of politically correct options.
Another one that returned to the fray, like that artist that we all thought disappeared, is the proposal to authorize casinos in five-star hotels. The Court previously rejected it for lack of clarity, but apparently Noboa’s team gave it a once-over with the spell checker and re-released it. Because nothing says “we’re solving the country’s problems” like allowing people to lose their paychecks on luxury slot machines.
And here comes the most passive-aggressive wink of all: a question that seeks to prohibit the use of the name or image in political campaigns of any person sentenced for crimes against the public administration. Who could this gem be directed to? Well, just to name one, former president Rafael Correa and his entourage of former officials sentenced for corruption. It’s like blocking your ex on all social networks, but on a constitutional level. The level of pettiness is admirable.
To top it off, the president also included proposals for constitutional reforms to speed up the prosecution of crimes such as extortion and those linked to organized crime. Because if there’s one thing Ecuador needs, it’s less bureaucracy and more efficiency, especially when it comes to putting bad guys behind bars.
What Did Pass the First Cut (Literally)
Not everything was rejection in the first round. The Court gave the green light to some questions, such as the implementation of hourly work in the tourism sector (because nothing combats crime like labor flexibility) and the reduction of the number of assembly members, which are currently 151. It had also previously validated issues such as allowing the presence of foreign bases in the country – something prohibited since 2008 – and the elimination of subsidies to political parties. The latter has already been approved by the Assembly and must be ratified in the referendum. Basically, the renovation menu is as varied as a DJ’s playlist at a wedding.
The underlying message is clear: Noboa is determined to leave his mark, and if he has to overcome legal obstacles with the persistence of an influencer trying to make a TikTok go viral, he will do it. The popular consultation is emerging as the next great political reality show in Ecuador. And we, the audience, can only wait with popcorn in hand to see what happens in the next episode.
Are you intrigued by how this fight between the Carondelet Palace and the Constitutional Court will continue? Share this article on your social networks and tag those who love political drama. And if you want to stay up to date with more analysis on the memes that are generated from the decisions of our rulers, explore more related content in our politics section. Because in the digital age, even popular queries have their own gossip thread.
