The replacement of the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, Julio José Prado, who resigned after 26 months in office, will be among the four Deputy Ministers from that state portfolio: Ana María Gallardo, Deputy Minister for Promotion of Exports and Investments; Daniel Legarda, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade; Alfonso Abdo, Deputy Minister of Production and Industry; and Andrés Arens, Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries.

This was revealed by Prado this Wednesday, June 28, in Guayaquil, after an event at the Chamber of Industry. “The president is currently evaluating some names that we discussed together, he will make the final decision. Profiles within the vice ministries are evaluated, the ministry has four vice ministries and these profiles are evaluated in order to move forward. He assured that this will help a quick transition, because changing into a person who cannot make decisions quickly would be a complication, analyzed the minister.

Resignation in the cabinet, Julio José Prado resigns from the Ministry of Production

Regarding the reason for his resignation, he repeated that it was purely personal reasons. “Due to family, purely personal issues, I asked (President of the Republic Guillermo Lasso) to allow me an orderly transition that will lead us to maintain all the projects we have in this ministry and close what has been missing during the last months,” said the state secretary, who will to be on duty until Monday, July 3.

He explained that he does not have any concrete plans with the private sector, academia or the Government after his departure. “I’m going to take some time to be with my family.”

Regarding the closing of trade agreements, he announced that he was negotiating in Seoul last week so that the agreement with South Korea could be signed by President Guillermo Lasso in September. With Canada, he recalled that the research phase that lasted between six and eight months ended last week, and he plans to start negotiations in the last months of this year.

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As for the already signed agreements with China and Costa Rica, Prado hopes that in the coming weeks the Constitutional Court will rule on the one of Costa Rica, which has already been sent to the constitutional body. The one from China will be sent when there is an answer to the first one, which is expected “in the next few weeks at the latest, and certainly next week or at most the next will already come from China, we have everything ready with the decree, analysis, report so that it can enter the court” .

Prado hopes that at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2024, the new Government and the new convocation of the National Assembly – which will be elected in early elections on August 20 – will discuss these agreements so that they enter into force.