The Constitutional Court decided that the Ombudsman’s Office will not intervene in the trial of the budget reduction for education in Ecuador.
On Friday, May 29, the Ombudsman rejected the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador by social networks to prevent the intervention of the institution, as amicus curiae, in the public trial where it will decide on the reduction of the budget for education public in Ecuador.
On May 28, the public trial was held, called by the Constitutional Court, to analyze the budget cut for universities.
Johanna Pesántez, legal secretary of the Presidency, said that the State has not acted unconstitutionally since the state of emergency does not suspend the ordinary order of public finances.
“Both the President and the ministers have acted in accordance with constitutional powers,” she said.
While José Correa, representative of the Technical University of Machala, stated that the budget reduction impacts on the quality of education.
Other representatives of public institutions stressed that the Constitution prohibits the use of education and health funds in a state of emergency.
Gonzalo Lascano, legal director of the Ministry of Finance, said that the demands are inadmissible.
“Education funds have not been taken to finance expenses,” he explained. He explained that it is not a cut, but rather a revision of the budget, which is a technical process, which is contemplated in the Code of Planning and Public Finance (Coplafip).
After 17:00 on May 28, the constitutional judge, Carmen Corral Ponce, ended the public hearing against the cut of $ 98 million to the country’s public universities.
Corral granted 72 hours to legitimize the interventions of the parties within case No. 34-20-IS and accumulated.
The magistrates of the court listened to the appearances of representatives of the Ministry of Finance, authorities of third-level institutions and students, without the presence of the Ombudsman.
Although the hearing was conducted electronically, the members of the Federation of University Students of Ecuador (FEUE) arrived from 09:00 outside the Constitutional Court to protest against this budget cut.
Christian Flores, president of the FEUE, said that with this action the Court and the State will see that the public university is vigilant of its actions.
Flores said he is hopeful that the CC will approve a ruling in favor of the universities and reiterated that the funds are always delivered late. (C.D.A.)
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