World > South America > Ecuador > Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

Ecuador - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

Government The constitution provides for 4-year terms of office for the president, vice president, and members of Congress, although none of the last three democratically-elected presidents finished their terms. Presidents may be re-elected after an intervening term; legislators may be re-elected immediately. The executive branch currently includes 15 ministries. Provincial governors (prefects) and councilors, like mayors, city councilors and rural parish boards, are directly elected. Congress meets throughout the year except for recesses in July and December. Congress is divided into twenty seven-member subject committees. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Congress for life; members of the Constitutional Court serve four years. Principal Government Officials President--Rafael CORREA Vice President--Lenin MORENO Minister of Foreign Affairs--Maria Fernanda ESPINOSA Minister of Defense--Lorena ESCUDERO Ambassador to the United States--Luis GALLEGOS Chiriboga Ambassador to the Organization of American States--Mario ALEMAN Ambassador to the United Nations--Diego CORDOVEZ Egers Ecuador maintains an embassy in the United States at 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-234-7200). Consulates are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Jersey City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.