Ecuador Roundup: Weapons license, presidential trip, appointed governors

Private security weapons license

The Ecuadorian National Assembly has approved the Private Security and Surveillance Law, a provision that allows private security workers the license to carry weapons as part of their job to protect people and property, and also to defend themselves. The rule, the second in the new legislative period following the approval of the rule that guarantees equal gender pay, is expected to be reviewed by Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa and published in the Latin nation’s Official Registry if approved. “One of its purposes is to guarantee the regulation of the sector and its coordination with State entities, to contribute to comprehensive security,” a legislator from Ecuador’s Commission on Sovereignty and Comprehensive Security is quoted by local media El Universo.

Presidential trip to Argentina

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa is expected to make his first official trip as president of Ecuador to Buenos Aires to witness the inauguration of Argentina's incoming president, Javier Milei which is scheduled for December 10. The Ecuadorian President Noboa assumed office on November 23 in a ceremony held at the Latin nation’s capital, Quito where the only head of state present was Gustavo Petro of Colombia, local media Expresso reported.

Appointed governors

The President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa appointed on December 5, governors from several provinces across the Latin American nation. These governorate appointments come as the 36-year-old Ecuadorian president continues to appoint representatives of his government after being sworn in as president of the Latin nation in November.  “Governance is not about dividing up a territory; governance is working together for a new country; It is to give peace to families and return the institutionality that Ecuador so desperately needs,” Noboa in a statement said.

Popular consultation

The vice minister of the Ecuadorian government has said that the government of the Latin nation will hold a popular consultation to decide the long-term plans of the government. The government official in a televised interview said that details of the questions for the popular consultation will be disclosed at the beginning of 2024. He added that the government of Ecuador envision the consultation as a chance to analyse various aspects of government such as issues related to employment, security and the justice system.

Corruption risks detector

Ecuador’s Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) received an award for designing a portal that uses artificial intelligence to determine corruption risks in public procurement at the Prototypes for Humanity conference in Dubai, El Universo reported. The Kapak, a transparency portal created by the USFQ Colleges of Jurisprudence and Polytechnic is based on the specific line of business and the reverse auction as the two contracting mechanisms. The Latin American university participated in the conference alongside institutions such as Egerton, Hongik, Oxford and Princeton, El Universo reports.