On March 2, 2026, the full Judiciary Council of Ecuador decided to suspend Judge Daniela Ayala Álvarez from her duties for a period of three months without pay. The suspension was a result of her serious wrongdoing in the high-profile 'Magnicidio FV' case, from which she had distanced herself since mid-January. The council found that Ayala issued precautionary measures in favor of the defendants, Xavier Jordán and former minister José Serrano, despite these not being requested by the Prosecutor's Office.

The 'Magnicidio FV' case revolves around the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a prominent political figure, which occurred on August 9, 2023, in Quito. The case implicates several individuals, including Ronny Aleaga, a former assembly member, and Daniel Salcedo, who has been sentenced to over 34 years in prison for corruption in the public health and judicial systems. They are all accused of being the alleged intellectual authors behind Villavicencio's murder, marking the case as particularly significant in Ecuador's recent history of political violence.

In response to Ayala's suspension, the Judiciary Council clarified that this action should not be seen as a punitive measure but rather as a preventive one, aiming to maintain the integrity of the judicial process amidst the ongoing investigation. This suspension highlights the careful scrutiny applied to judicial actions in high-stakes cases and the attempts to uphold accountability within the Ecuadorean judiciary.