QUITO – Ecuador’s Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner resigned Tuesday amid a coronavirus outbreak that devastated the country’s largest city, Guayaquil, and noted that his profile was strengthened by leading the government’s efforts to restart the economy.
Sonnenholzner, who has been in the workplace for 18 months, is the third deputy to President Lenin Moreno to resign since Moreno began his term in mid-2017. In a televised statement, Sonnenholzner did not make his resolution or verify the media hypothesis that he plans to run in next year’s presidential election.
“I’m leaving with the satisfaction of a responsibility, ” said Sonnenholzner.
Sonnenholzner was at the helm in March and April during one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Latin America in Guayaquil, when the bodies of the sick were left at homes and on the streets because hospitals did not have the capacity to recover them.
About 4,800 more people have died from the virus in the Andean country, adding 1,600 in the neighboring province of Guayaquil.
Sonnenholzner became aware of sending medical resources to hospitals and delivering food to members of society. He also led the government’s plan to revive the economy through support work and lending to sectors on horseback. (Report through Alexandra Valencia written through Angus Berwick edited through Jonathan Oatis)
Sign up for news from the National Post, a department of Postmedia Network Inc.
An error has occurred, provide a valid email address.
A welcome email is on the way. If you don’t see it, check your unwanted folder.
The next issue of Posted Newsletter will soon be in your inbox.
We found a challenge when you signed up. Please check again
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4
© 2020 National Post, a department of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Dissemination, unauthorized transmission or strictly prohibited.
It uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads) and allows us to analyze our traffic. Learn more about cookies here. By proceeding to use our site, you agree to our terms of use and our privacy policy.