Ecuador’s Constitutional Court has approved the marriage of same-sex couples. At a meeting, five of the nine constitutional judges voted to allow a marriage between two people of the same sex. The other four judges argued that such a move would first require a constitutional amendment by parliamentary means.
In Ecuador’s constitution, marriage is defined as a bond between a man and a woman. In 2015, however, a law reform recognized same-sex partnerships. The Ecuadorian constitutional lawyer Gustavo Medina told the news agency AFP that the decision of the Constitutional Court was binding. The decision must therefore be implemented by the authorities of the country.
Argentina was the first South American country to introduce „marriage for all“ in 2010. It was followed by Uruguay, Brazil and Colombia.
