Learn about the changes in Guillermo Lasso’s cabinet after the setback in the 2023 elections

The setback suffered with the results of the referendum caused a crisis within the ministerial cabinet of President Guillermo Lasso. Several ministers, advisers and governors were replaced.

These changes also seek to oxygenate the Government and present cadres that try to reach agreements with other political tendencies, although several parties such as Social Cristiano and Pachakutik, which have an important presence in the National Assembly, have announced that they will not participate in any national agreement. with the Lasso administration.

From the Social Christian quarry to the Ministry of Government: Henry Cucalón joins Guillermo Lasso’s cabinet

These are the changes announced by the President of the Republic.

Henry Cucalón assumes the Ministry of Government

Henry Cucalón Camacho was one of the figures close to the Social Christian leader Jaime Nebot. However, he later distanced himself from the party. In fact, the PSC issued a statement assuring that Cucalón is not part of his ranks or those of the Madera de Guerrero movement, so they “have no responsibility” in his appointment as Government Minister.

Cucalón will become the ‘strong man’ of the Guillermo Lasso regime. He will replace Francisco Jiménez, who had a leading role in the national strike in June 2022 and led the dialogues with the representatives of the social organizations that called the mobilizations.

Francesco Tabacchi is the new governor of Guayas

Tabacchi was a candidate for the Guayas Prefecture in the last elections for the CREO pro-government movement and obtained 6.13% of valid votes. In addition, he was president of the Association of Cattlemen of the Coast and Galapagos for five years. During his management in this association, he promoted the reform of the Penal Code that toughened the laws against cattle rustling (cattle theft). He has been a rancher for much of his professional career.

He will replace Lorenzo Calvas in the Governorate, who took office in July 2022 when Pablo Arosemena left the entity to lead the Ministry of Economy.

Sebastián Corral is the new Secretary General of the Administration

Sebastián Corral, former manager of Teleamazon and who has served as Ecuador’s ambassador in London since 2021, is the new Secretary General of the Administration, replacing Iván Correa.

Francisco Jiménez resigned as Minister of Government and wishes his successor strength and success

Corral appeared on a list in the VIP vaccinated case of the Lenín Moreno government, since he and his family were supposedly immunized by a Ministry of Health brigade at the Metropolitan Hospital against COVID-19 when vaccination was not yet massive, a publication that did not deny

Meanwhile, Correa leaves office in the midst of a major internal government crisis. He was one of the officials who had followed Lasso since he assumed the Presidency in 2021.

The Legal Secretariat of the Presidency was entrusted to Jhossueth Almeida Villacís, replacing Fabián Pozo

Fabián Pozo, who was working as legal secretary of the Presidency, also submitted his resignation and it was accepted. Pozo has been an official in the Lasso government since he came to power.

Fabián Pozo resigns from his position as legal secretary of the Presidency of the Republic

Pozo is married to Assemblywoman Ana Belén Cordero, from the ranks of CREO. When he was appointed secretary, there were questions from the opposition for an alleged nepotism that in this case did not exist, since the Executive and the Legislative are different functions, the Government indicated.

The lawyer Jhossueth Almeida Villacís is designated to replace Pozo as manager.

Lasso accepted the resignations of other officials

As part of the crisis that the Government is going through, President Lasso accepted the resignation of Aparicio Caicedo as counselor. Caicedo was one of the most influential voices in the political environment of the head of state. He was part of the team of young professionals known as ‘Lassoboys’, who prepared their government plan at the Fundación Ecuador Libre.

He was also one of the officials most questioned since the beginning of the regime, both for the figure under which he joined the cabinet and for the functions he fulfilled. In addition, because of the trills that he shared on social networks like Twitter.

Aparicio Caicedo is no longer an adviser to President Guillermo Lasso, he says that his mission in that position “has been exhausted”

Through Executive Decree 26, of May 24, 2021, Lasso appointed him as a director ad honorem, that is, he did not receive remuneration from the State. In August of last year, Lasso repealed that decree and named him a paid presidential adviser.

Oswaldo Coronel also submitted his resignation as governor of Cotopaxi. This province has been key in the social protests led by the indigenous movement and Leonidas Iza. In the position of Colonel is Tania Vásquez Paredes.

Lourdes Tibán, from Pachakutik, won the Prefecture of this province, for which the Government will seek to extend dialogues. Colonel’s replacement is not yet known.

Mirtha Aristeguieta resigned as governor of El Oro. Eusebio Apolo will be in her position.

Tania Obando also leaves the Esmeraldas Governorate and in her place will be Frickson Erazo, who was a candidate for mayor of the Esmeraldas canton.

Gretty Vargas Sánchez resigned as Secretary of Management and Development of Peoples and Nationalities. In her replacement is Jorge Córdova Castro.

Andrés Seminario, Secretary of Communication, submitted his resignation, but President Lasso ratified him in office. (YO)