The president’s environment is restricted and privileges management in matters of security and intelligence. Strategic sectors such as public works and energy are reviewed by this group.
The changes developed by Republic President, Daniel Noboa, In recent weeks, they begin to reconfigure the Government scheme. The incorporation of names such as Minister of education, Alegría Crespo, shows an alternative for transformation in the educational model.
On the other hand, the arrival of new Secretary of Communication, Irene Velezopens an opportunity for the Government to make a important turn and allow the close up to the media that have had a restricted access to official information.
Despite these modifications, the closest environment of the President remains solidalthough some figures have been moved to strengthen and give greater effectiveness to the decision makingespecially in the strategic sectors.
The small table of Noboa is made up of five ministersa assemblyman and a external consultantwho has accompanied him since the beginning of the election campaign.
Sources of the Presidency of the Republic and the government ministry confirmed to this newspaper that in the president’s closest circle are: the Minister of Government and CIES, Michele Sensi Contugi; the Minister of the Interior, Monica Palencia; the Minister of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredothe Minister of Transportation and Public Works and current person in charge of Energy and Mines, Roberto Luque.
The secretary of Public Administration completes the table, Arturo Felix Wong; the assemblywoman, Valentina Centeno, and the communication advisor, Iván Carmignianiwho to date has not assumed any state portfolio, but has been part of Noboa’s team since he began the race for the presidential election.
The influence of this environment is verified by observing the conformation of the new government structures, such as the Crisis Management Committeean organization that “coordinate and unite the inter-institutional actions of the Executive in “moments of security crisis, to articulate the response and decision making immediate.”
This Committee is made up of Noboa, Contugi, Palencia, Loffredoand only the general director of the National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Adult Persons Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI), general Luis Zaldumbidewould be out of the small table.
The meetings of this Committee are classified as secret. (ILS)
The characters of Daniel Noboa’s small table:
Quito April 16, 2024. Several authorities join the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Roberto Luque assumes charge of the ministry
API / DANIEL MOLINEROS
Michele Sensi Contugi
Minister of Government and person in charge of CIES (Intelligence)
Recently appointed as Minister of Government and Political Affairs. Since Noboa’s inauguration he served as director of the Strategic Intelligence Center (CIES). He additionally forms part as “presidential delegate” of multiple directories of public companies among which the Electricity Corporation of Ecuador (Celec), the National Electricity Corporation (CNEL) and the Ecuadorian Oil Fleet EP (Flopec) stand out. Contugi now manages the relationship with the Governments and politics. He is one of the officials with less public exposure. As of the closing of the edition, neither the Ministry of Government nor the CIES website has published his resume.
Quito November 26, 2023. Official photo of President Daniel Noboa with his ministerial cabinet. Roberto Luque
Transport
API / DANIEL MOLINEROS
Roberto Luque
Minister of Transportation and Public Works and in charge of the Ministry of Energy and Mines
Another of Noboa’s closest officials has become a key piece in the government management, efficiently supporting the development and reconstruction of important transportation routes. At this moment he is the person facing the energy crisis and blackouts. It’s one of the more technical profiles of the cabinet being a doctor in Civil Engineering and consultant in Geotechnical and Seismic Engineering.
Quito November 26, 2023. Official photo of President Daniel Noboa with his ministerial cabinet
API / DANIEL MOLINEROS
Monica Palencia
Minister of the Interior
The lawyer and academic has been part of the Government since possession of Noboa in November 2023. Initially she assumed the Ministry of Government and was in charge of the Ministry of the Interior, from where she spoke of the Phoenix Plan and part of the security policies. On April 21, the president thanked her for her support and appointed her as the titular Minister of the Interior. Palencia was Noboa lawyer during the divorce process with his first wife, Gabriela Goldbaum.
Quito November 26, 2023. Official photo of President Daniel Noboa with his ministerial cabinet. Giancarlo Loffredo
Defending
API / DANIEL MOLINEROS
Gian Carlo Loffredo
Minister of Defense
He assumed office on November 23, 2023, heading relations between the Armed Forces. According to his biography, he has served for 25 years “as advisor-consultant and trainer in several renowned institutions, both nationally and internationally. He received training in protection issues and has been a “certified instructor in counterterrorism actions by the Israeli Tactical School.”
Quito November 26, 2023. Official photo of President Daniel Noboa with his ministerial cabinet. Arturo Felix
Public administration
API / DANIEL MOLINEROS
Arturo Felix Wong
Secretary General of Public Administration
He assumed the position like his cabinet colleagues on November 23 of 2023. He is one of the officials closest to the president and since January 2, 2024 he had the mission of leading the process to prepare the suppression of the National Secretariat of Public and State Securitywhose objectives and functions were transferred to the Ministries of Defense and Interior, through decree 152 of January 30, 2024.
Valentina Centeno
Assemblyman by ADN
Was the first on the National List to the National Assembly by the National Democratic Action alliance. The young parliamentarian presides over the Permanent Commission for Economic, Productive and Microenterprise Development. From there it has been one of the fundamental pieces for Parliament to approve the five emergency economic projects sent by the President. She was Undersecretary of Physical Activity, of the Ministry of Sports, in the Government of Guillermo Lasso.
Iván Carmigniani
Communications Advisor
He businessman and political strategist, triathlete who has even competed in Germany, has been linked to Noboa’s campaign since the start of the early election process convened by the CNE in 2023. After the victory in the second round, Carmigniani, delegate of the Minister of Tourism to the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos in 2014, was appointed by Noboa as Secretary of Communicationbut did not take office upon being replaced by Roberto Izurieta. The strategist accompanied Álvaro Noboa in three of his presidential attempts and, at the moment, he does not hold any official position in the government structure.