Cuenca and Azuay Province need more prosecutors, AG’s office says; Noboa wants control of NGOs; 80 public workers dismissed; Referendum date set

Azuay Province is in desperate need of more prosecutors, the head of the Attorney General’s Provincial Office says. “We currently have a staff of 43, but we need a minimum of 73,” says Leonardo Amoroso.

“Because of the deficit, our prosecutors are forced to take on more responsibility than they should, which adversely affects the quality of their work, and it also means we are forced to defer cases that desperately need attention,” Amoroso said in presentation to the National Judiciary Council on Friday. “We are being criticized by some in the government when criminals are not fully prosecuted but we are working with one arm tied behind our backs. Please provide us the personnel to do our job.”

Public employees protested job cuts Monday morning at Parque Calderon in Cuenca.

According to international standards, Amoroso says, a jurisdiction should have eight prosecutors per 100,000 inhabitants. “In a province approaching one million population, and for a city of 650,000, we are only half-staffed,” he said. “Given the current emphasis on combatting crime in Ecuador, we need the additional resources to fulfill our mission.”

In his presentation, Amoroso cited the growing backlog of legal cases. “In 2024, 15,886 cases were filed in the Azuay office but most of them remain unresolved. And, of course, they continue to pile up in 2025. We are forced to set priorities that leave many cases sitting on the shelf.”

Noboa wants more control of NGOs
Claiming that many independent foundations and non-profit organizations are laundering money for criminal organizations, President Daniel Noboa announced Monday that he is presenting legislation to the National Assembly to impose tighter control of the entities.

“Some of these organizations have become a mechanism for criminal operations, enabling illegal mining and other activities, and we must stop this,” Noboa said in a radio interview. “Most of the NGOs are operating legally but we must put a stop to those that aren’t.”

Noboa said his proposed Law of Foundations will not only allow greater oversight of NGOs but close down those involved in illegal activities and prosecute their directors.

80 public workers dismissed in Cuenca
Of the 5,000 government employees who will lose their jobs under President Daniel Noboa’s austerity plan, about 80 are in Cuenca. Remigio Hurtado, president of the National Commission of Public Workers, reports that the largest number of dismissals will be at the José Carrasco Arteaga Social Security hospital and the Vicente Corral Moscoso public hospital.

Hurtado said final figures of job cuts as well as where they will occur will not be known for several days. “At this point, we know that 20 workers at the IESS hospital have received termination notices as have 11 at Vicente Corral Moscoso,” he said.

Referendum set for December 14 but restauranteurs object
President Daniel Noboa said Monday that the national referendum to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador will be held December 14. In addition to the military base question, at least seven more issues, yet to be determined, will be added to the ballot according to the president.

Restaurant owners were quick to object to the date of the vote, claiming the election dry law imposed during the busy Christmas season will cost them tens-of-millions of dollars in revenue.