Ecuador's Health Minister resigns while government confirms that officials close to Moreno were vaccinated

Rodolfo Farfán was appointed Ecuador's Minister of Health less than a month ago.

His resignation was announced this Friday.

(Credit: Twitter / Rodolfo Farfán).

(CNN Spanish) ––

The Ministry of Communication of Ecuador reported this Friday the resignation of the Minister of Health, Rodolfo Farfán, less than a month after President Lenín Moreno appointed him to office.

Farfán is the fourth Minister of Health appointed by this government.

Rodolfo Farfán had replaced former minister Juan Carlos Zevallos, who resigned in February after being included in the prosecution's investigation for irregularities in vaccination against covid-19 in the country.

Zevallos has defended the vaccination process and has rendered his version to the Prosecutor's Office.

• Ecuador's Prosecutor's Office raids the Ministry of Health to search for "VIP" vaccination listings

In his resignation letter, Farfán indicated that his departure as Ecuador's Minister of Health is due to "strictly personal reasons."

He also thanked President Moreno for his appointment.

Meanwhile, the secretariat confirmed in another statement that in addition to President Moreno, at least 11 people in his environment were vaccinated to create an "epidemiological fence" that protects the president given the health vulnerabilities that would arise from his condition of motor disability and his age .

The departure of Farfán and the news of the vaccinations in the presidential environment are known while the Prosecutor's Office investigates the existence of alleged vaccination lists for people without their corresponding.

The outgoing minister said a few days ago that the lists of people vaccinated cannot be made public due to confidentiality issues.

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Vaccination to the presidential environment

The government statement on the vaccination of Moreno's wife and close personnel was known before the unofficial circulation of names of officials allegedly vaccinated.

The press release argued the immunization of the president and officials who work with him on "national security" issues.

The statement added that, due to his physical disability, Moreno requires assistance from other people to carry out his activities.

The president received the vaccine in January.

According to the note from the Ministry of Communication, the government is willing to collaborate in the ongoing judicial investigations.

Criticism on social networks has multiplied in the face of what seemed like a silence from the government for several days.

During this period, different sectors requested that the lists of vaccinated officials be made public.

Also due to the shortage of vaccine doses in the country.

Until this Friday, the government reports that more than 120,000 people have received the vaccine against covid-19.

Ecuador is a country with more than 17 million inhabitants.

Lenín MorenoVaccination