QUITO, OCT 10 – The office of the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, has replaced the Minister of Energy, Antonio Goncalves, in the midst of a severe energy crisis that has caused power outages, according to a statement yesterday.
Goncalves, who took office in July, previously announced that blackouts of up to 10 hours a day would be necessary due to a ‘critical’ energy shortage.
The Minister of Environment, Ines Manzano, has been appointed as interim energy minister. Manzano ‘will lead the transformation of the obsolete matrix, which has left us 72 percent dependent on rain, and will implement renewable energy projects,’ added the president’s office.
The energy crisis worsened in mid-September due to a drought that affected hydroelectric reservoirs and electricity imports from Colombia. – Xinhua
