Same-Sex Marriage in Ecuador

On June 12, 2019, Ecuador’s highest court, the nine-member Constitutional Court in Quito, approved same-sex marriage with five votes in favor said they based their decision on the idea that all people are equal, they also said they sought to counter any kind of discrimination.

The landmark ruling came as they ruled on the lawsuits of two same-sex couples. Plaintiff Efraín Soria made the request to marry his partner Javier Benalcázar, and Rubén Salazar and Carlos Verdosoto wanted to get married.

“It means that Ecuador is more egalitarian… It recognizes that human rights must be for all people without discrimination,” said lawyer Christian Paula of the Patka Foundation, which represents several same-sex couples seeking to marry.

In Latin America, Ecuador joins Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay who recognize same-sex marriage, and follows a decision by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, which said countries should give same-sex couples the right to marry.