Or also prelude. It is the part of a piece of music, eg an opera, that begins the performance. It can also be a prelude or called “liminal words”. In any case, I am contacting you because it seems to me that we elected the President of the Republic for a short time and that perhaps President Daniel Noboa will not be satisfied and will seek re-election. It’s hardly logical to think about. Already in command, you will see everything differently, because power is like a strong drink, the more you drink, the more you want it. You will like power itself, like an authority that feels obeyed, feared or admired. Protocol, which is order, will always put him first, and when he is at ceremonial events, military bands will play the first bars of the national anthem in his honor. You will feel the great weight and responsibility of the position. At one point he will think he is already a historical figure because his name will appear in the books and his portrait will remain in the Yellow Room of Carondelet.

Of course, it must gain its prestige through good government. The people will vote for him if he shows ability, honesty and desire to serve. We know you will find the country in debt, with very little money to meet security needs and basic health and education needs. You may have to face the damage of the El Niño phenomenon, which will destroy lives, roads and highways, private and public buildings. One of your friends should remind you of the devastation of the winter of 1997, which is documented in the serious statistics of ECLAC, figures that can be a guide for your actions. We have a diverse nature: while in one part of the country it rains too much, in another there is a drought. These days we suffer from the unpredictability of the authorities in the power sector. The crisis has been felt for several months. They did not audit or pay the interest on the thermal power plants and we had power cuts. President Guillermo Lasso had to travel in person to seek help from Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, to mitigate the effects of the unpredictability. Congratulations, you have done a job that your ministers have not.

The newly elected president is gradually announcing the names of his cabinet. Will that be your style of government? You should know that leverage is inevitable. Newly appointed ministers must spend part of their first months responding to the recommendations of friends, the Government itself, and even relatives who do not know where they were born, who appear in letters, notes, and messages. , “social network” messages for job hunting. Sometimes it can even be funny if you take it with the humor of someone who already knows it.

We have elected a Government for a year and a half, which can be extended for another four years, and if we interpret it that way, there is room for leniency in the judgments we will have to make when considering the new Executive. In the meantime, we must support the efforts of this young man with a will to serve. What happens after five years is known only to those who have a crystal ball. I don’t have that. (OR)