President Guillermo Lasso divided the Ministry of Government and created the Ministry of the Interior, with Francisco Jiménez and Patricio Carrillo as ministers. And he thanked Alexandra Vela, who resigned on Tuesday night.
In a ceremony held this followingnoon at the Carondelet Presidential Palace, Lasso swore in the former Assemblyman Francisco Jiménez as his new Minister of Government and former police chief Patricio Carrillo as head of the Interior portfolio.
With the Minister of Government @panchojimenezs and the interior minister @CarrilloRosero. Successes in managing it. pic.twitter.com/eFeZnTkWHM
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) March 30, 2022
The president explained that he decided to divide the Ministry of Government in two so that each area assumes specific competencies.
The Ministry of Government will be in charge exclusively of political relations, negotiations of the Executive with the National Assembly, with local governments and with social organizations.
Francis Jimenez, @panchojimenezs, was appointed as Minister of Government. Entity that will facilitate governance, conflict prevention and government coordination. pic.twitter.com/oOuAeahKPC
– ECU Presidency (@Presidencia_Ec) March 30, 2022
The Ministry of the Interior, for its part, will be exclusively in charge of guaranteeing public safety, Lasso explained.
General Patricio Carrillo, in passive service, was appointed as the new Minister of the Interior. The purpose of this entity is to guarantee citizen security, internal protection and public order. pic.twitter.com/c2RB0bi6k7
– ECU Presidency (@Presidencia_Ec) March 30, 2022
The ruler added that with these appointments are sought to “strengthen the ranks of the Government” and generate bridges of dialogue with the different parliamentary groups and social sectors, without neglecting the generation of citizen security strategies.
The president finally thanked Alexandra Vela, who resigned on Tuesday night as head of the Ministry of Government due to discrepancies with Lasso, as she admitted in her resignation letter.
Vela defended the possibility that the Government would assume a constitutional prerogative known as “crusader death”, by which the Executive can dissolve the Legislative Assembly only once, but call early general elections.
President @LassoGuillermo signed the Executive Decrees appointing the new Ministers of State:
– Francisco Jimenez, @panchojimenezsas Minister of Government.
– General in passive service Patricio Carrillo as Minister of the Interior.#GovernmentOfTheMeeting pic.twitter.com/H9KlVqcfCe
– ECU Presidency (@Presidencia_Ec) March 30, 2022
This possibility also allows the Executive to govern through the issuance of decree-laws, under the control of the Constitutional Court.
Vela considered that this constitutional clause might be applied following the National Assembly denied and shelved an Executive project to promote investment, considered emblematic by Lasso to conduct his economic development strategy.
Lasso did not refer to the discrepancies with Vela, whom he thanked, but said that in his administration dialogue will prevail as a form of management.