Contraloría Rule Would Allow Classified Audit Files to Be Destroyed After 30 Days
Ecuador's National Assembly approved a reform that authorizes the Contraloria General del Estado to permanently eliminate classified state information after institutional audit reports are final and executed.
The rule was approved on June 9, 2026 as article 20 of the Ley Organica Reformatoria para Prevenir y Sancionar el Uso Delictivo de Uniformes, Insignias y Distintivos Institucionales.
Vote And Scope
The law received 87 votes from Accion Democratica Nacional, the Partido Social Cristiano and independents. Revolucion Ciudadana and Pachakutik opposed it.
The contested article allows the Contraloria authority to order the elimination, destruction or secure deletion of physical and digital documents containing information classified as confidential, reserved, secret or top secret.
The maximum deadline is 30 calendar days.
Exceptions
The rule excludes information directly linked to pending judicial proceedings, active criminal investigations or non-prescribed responsibilities.
Current Ecuadorian law provides that classified information loses reserve status after five to 15 years from issuance. The new authority would allow permanent deletion within one month after the relevant audit process is final.
Governance Exposure
A Defensoria del Pueblo report said the Executive Branch classified 1,417 documents as reserved in 2024, concentrated mainly in Corporacion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones and the Ministry of National Defense.
Transparencia Internacional Ecuador and Fundacion Ciudadania y Desarrollo asked the government to veto the provision, warning that it affects access to public information and accountability.
What To Watch
- Whether the Executive vetoes article 20
- Whether the Constitutional Court is asked to review the provision
- Whether state-owned companies and ministries accelerate classification practices
- Whether audit-trail risk increases for public procurement, telecoms, defense and infrastructure files
- Whether future investigations are constrained by the 30-day deletion window
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