Some government initiatives: A week ago, President Daniel Noboa issued Executive Decree 37, in which he ordered studies and analyzes to be carried out for the shutdown and liquidation of EMCO, the Coordinating Company of Public Enterprises, an entity that was at the center of scandals that, in particular due to the condemnation of the digital media La Posta, ended the government of President Guillermo Lasso, produced murders, escapes, prison orders and brought us to this new experiment of cross-death. In an interview with Diario EL UNIVERSO, published last Sunday, December 3, the president of EMCO accepts that this company may cease to exist based on the executive order. That’s right: it was created by executive order and can disappear in the same way. But the president himself says that the legal reform abolishes the chairmanship of the EMCO board. It seems like a contradiction to me, because if the entity disappears, everything disappears. It is sufficient for the Presidency to pass the appropriate executive decree and send it to the Official Register. Appropriate provisions for the transfer of functions may be provided for in the transitional provisions. Companies have their own managers, and their management boards must be chaired by the relevant minister.

Changing the terms of the use of vessels in the contract for the sale of crude oil would affect Flopec’s coffers by $5 million

But things don’t end there. We must dismantle the structures that have allowed so much looting. The most scandalous case is undoubtedly that of Flopec and its monopoly with Amazonas Tanker for the maritime transport of Petroecuador oil. As far as we know from the press, everything remains as before. The former president of EMCO is on the run, the brother-in-law of the former president of the Republic is under house arrest, the other accused were killed. A tax investigation is underway. Those responsible for all of this can be criminally punished, but if the criminal structure is not dismantled, commissions will continue to be received by the convicted themselves. The perpetuation of the monopoly is simple: do not register any other competing shipping company.

Another obvious initiative that is not being implemented, which would be very healthy, is the reincorporation of the MUP into the Government, as it was in the past and in which the police were under the political control of the Government. If you don’t have the police, it’s just a liaison officer with the National Assembly.

The most important thing is public consultation on transcendental issues, such as constitutional reforms. The one that will enable manageability is the one that establishes that the election of representatives takes place in the second round of presidential elections. We verify that the winning president has only a negligible number of representatives from his party. There are currently 14 of them out of 137; previously, 12. Thus no one can rule without surrendering body and soul to the opposition. Constitutional reform is very difficult. Part of the citizens supported Dr. Simón Espinosa’s proposal to abolish the current Constitution, which was accepted in the plebiscite, through a plebiscite, while the previous one remains in force. (OR)