Mariana de Jesús Mendieta (born 10 April 1956) is an Ecuadorian politician.
[1] She entered politics when she joined Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party in support of Raúl Clemente Huerta [es] and Carlos Luis Plaza Aray.
After the deaths of both men, she left the Radical Liberals and joined the Social Christian Party.
During her inauguration, Mendieta was attacked by assailants she identified as being supporters of incumbent mayor Oswaldo Peñaherrera, a member of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party.
Mendieta was dismissed from her position following a controversy wherein, during a cantonal meeting, she stripped off her pants and underwear to display her colostomy bag and accuse Mayor Peñaherrera of orchestrating the attack.