The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, made changes to his cabinet after suffering his first electoral defeat in a popular consultation and constitutional referendum held on November 16 in the country, the Government reported. The Presidency indicated in a statement that 'these appointments aim to strengthen the management of the National Government to address the country's needs.' The head of state formalized the renewal of the cabinet in the portfolios of Government; Human Development; Labor; Public Health; Agriculture and Livestock; and Education, Sport and Culture, in which new heads were appointed. The president also ended the functions of Carolina Jaramillo as head of the Secretariat of General Communication of the Presidency, who acted as government spokesperson; and of Jorge Carrillo, in the National Secretariat of Risk Management. In last Sunday's elections, the majority of Ecuadorians rejected four questions posed by the president in the popular consultation and referendum, which the government sought to reinforce its security and governance plans. The 'No' vote won by wide margins against the proposals to convene a Constitutional Assembly to draft a new constitution, eliminate the constitutional prohibition on installing foreign military bases in the country, reduce the number of legislators, and eliminate state funding for political parties. The result of the elections is seen as the first political setback for Noboa since he took office in November 2023, in a context marked by an unprecedented security crisis plaguing the country. Analysts attribute this electoral outcome to the wear and tear of the president's management and the frustration of a population that has had to go through three electoral processes in the last two years. Noboa, who has kept a low profile since the elections, accepted the defeat on the same Sunday. 'We will continue to fight tirelessly for the country you deserve, with the tools we have,' the president wrote. In a message posted on his social media account X, he stated that he respects the will of the people expressed at the polls. 'Our commitment does not change; it strengthens.'
