Candidates must report advertising spending on social networks as part of electoral spending, for the 2021 elections

The candidate Guillermo Lasso, until the month of October, spent more than USD 130 thousand, while Juan Fernando Velasco invested more than USD 31 thousand in advertising through social networks.

The Plenary of the National Electoral Council (CNE) approved, this Friday, November 27, the new Regulation for the Control and Supervision of Electoral Spending, which provides, for political parties, to report within electoral spending, the advertising costs of promotional items that are made on social networks.

The president of the electoral body, Diana Atamaint, explained that “this regulation responds to the needs and demands that political organizations and citizens have requested from the CNE” and added that this regulation seeks to make the origin, use and destination of the funds transparent. campaign.

The provision is framed in article 47, which highlights that, “in the case of advertisements contracted online with providers or providers of social media services and web pages, the verification will be carried out by means of an invoice or sales receipt issued by the providers or providers of social networking services in the format provided by the online site.

Additionally, political organizations must attach a screenshot of the online transaction, which allows verifying “the portal in which it was carried out, the payment method, type of good or service purchased, identity and legal name. A screen capture verification of the contract will be presented ».

Until last, October 28, 2020, the social media advertising spending of the candidate for CREO and PSC, Guillermo Lasso, was USD 132,422 as of August 4 of this year.

For his part, the former Minister of Culture and candidate for the Construye Movement, Juan Fernando Velasco, spent USD 31,222 on advertising. According to the social network Facebook, the last week of October, Velasco spent USD 16,275.

The candidates: Guilermo Celi, Xavier Hervas and Isidro Romero, also invested in social networks, to carry out their electoral campaign, ahead of the February 2021 elections