The Minister of Labor of Ecuador, Ivonne Nunezand that of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishing, Danilo Palaciosannounced this Monday that they resign from their positions in the Government of President Daniel Noboa, one day after his defeat in the referendum with which he sought to approve, among other issues, his proposal to establish a Constituent Assembly to develop a new Constitution.
“Thanks to the entire country for the appreciation of the Ministry of Labor of Ecuador. We built legal norms in: equal pay, workplace harassment and violet law. My functions as Minister of State have concluded,” Núñez wrote on her account on the social network X.
“Thanks to President Daniel Noboa for allowing us from the ministry to lay the foundations in labor legislation for young people, women and older adults,” he added without giving details of his departure.
Palacios, for his part, thanked Noboa for giving him “the honor” of leading the ministry, and his collaborators and productive unions for supporting his management.
“Today I return to the private company to continue working and contributing to the development and progress of this country that I love so much,” he added in a statement published in X.
First resignations
These are the first casualties of the Government after the electoral process on Sunday. During the day, some local media indicated that all the ministers had put their positions at Noboa’s disposal, but an official statement on the matter was never issued from the Communication Secretariat of the Presidency.
Núñez and Palacios began their duties in November 2023, when Noboa assumed the Presidency for the first time, after winning the extraordinary elections to complete the term of former President Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023), and were ratified by Noboa last May, when he was again sworn in for a full four-year term.
Noboa’s great defeat
this sunday Noboa suffered his first major defeat at the polls, after the four questions he promoted were rejected by Ecuadorians.
In addition to the proposal to establish a Constituent Assembly that would draft a new Constitution, It was also included in the referendum allow foreign military bases, reduce the number of members of the National Assembly (Parliament) from 151 to 73 and withdraw public financing from political parties.
All of these questions were widely rejected in an unprecedented defeat for the Noboa Government.
Despite the no Upon the return of foreign military bases, the president of Ecuador will travel to the United States this Tuesday. The Government does not detail Daniel Noboa’s plans, although they do specify the “interest” in strengthening diplomatic ties with its commercial allies.
Two weeks ago, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noemwas in Ecuador to visit the military bases of Manta and Salinas, on the Ecuadorian coast, two areas in which the United States is interested in settling after leaving the country in 2009..