By Alexandra Valencia
QUITO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A prominent leftist politician in Ecuador who was runner-up to President Daniel Noboa in the last two elections has been arrested, the head of her party said on Thursday.
Luisa Gonzalez, a protege of former socialist President Rafael Correa, is under investigation over alleged irregularities in political financing and campaign spending in the 2023 election.
The head of the Citizens Revolution party, Gabriela Rivadeneira, confirmed the arrest in a social media post and argued it was politically motivated.
"We demand the immediate release of Luisa Gonzalez, who should not have to face a process of persecution and torture imposed by this government," she told reporters.
Rivadeneira said the 2023 campaign funds were fully accounted for and prior financial penalties imposed by the electoral authority had been paid, echoing earlier statements from Gonzalez.
Correa, who backed Gonzalez's candidacy, also disputed the allegations.
"This is not about legality, or whether the rules are being followed or not. It is brutal and simple persecution," he told a local radio program.
The Ecuadorean Attorney General's Office in a social media post said seven people are under investigation over "inconsistencies in the contributions and the lawful source of the funds" during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Three people so far have been arrested and will face charges for alleged money laundering, it said, without providing their full names.
Gonzalez lost both the 2023 and 2025 elections to Noboa, and alleged fraud in last year's loss. She had attempted to run in local elections set for November 29, but was unable to register her candidacy due to party registration rules.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon and Bill Berkrot)
