Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso on Tuesday accepted the resignations of three government ministers, including Minister of Economy and Finances Simon Cueva and Health Minister Ximena Garzon, the government said in a statement.
The third official to resign was Transport Minister Marcelo Cabrera. Lasso thanked the former ministers for their “loyal and valuable service,” the statement said, adding replacements will be named at 5:00 pm local time (2200 GMT) today. Ecuador’s secretary of public administration, Ivan Correa, disclosed Cueva’s impending departure during an interview with local television outlet Teleamazonas on Monday, adding that other changes would also be coming.
The resignations come after more than two weeks of protests rocked Ecuador, leading to at least eight deaths and severely impacting the country’s oil industry, its main source of income. The government finally reached a deal to end the demonstrations late last week with indigenous protest leaders, who had demanded fuel subsidies and an end to further expansion of the oil and mining industries.
The cabinet changes were necessary, Correa added. A letter detailing Garzon’s resignation was seen by Reuters later on Monday, in which she thanked Lasso for the opportunity to serve as health minister.
Lasso also accepted the resignation of Ecuador’s secretary for higher education, science, technology and innovation Alejandro Ribadeneira, the government said.
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