An environmental audit conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAE) has identified significant shortcomings in the environmental management of the Guayas Provincial Government between 2018 and 2024. According to Technical Report No. MAE-DCA-INF-2025-0227, 68 non-conformities were found: 65 major and three minor, which are considered substantive failures in delegated environmental responsibilities.
After reviewing explanations provided by the provincial government, MAE issued a final report confirming 45 non-conformities. The findings are detailed in Technical Report No. MAE-DCA-INF-2026-0002, following an accreditation monitoring process carried out from October 21 to 24, 2025.
The Subsecretariat for Environmental Quality at MAE plans to conduct another audit for the year 2025. This comes after the Prefecture took over environmental duties that had been suspended from the Municipality of Guayaquil in January 2025.
Inés Manzano, Minister of Environment and Energy, stated: “By constitutional mandate, it is up to MAE to exercise oversight and verify that delegated environmental responsibilities are executed according to national regulations. ‘MAE has delegated authority to several local governments after accreditation processes. Our job is ongoing control to ensure these responsibilities are met. Assume and comply. There are recurring areas of concern. Therefore, as MAE, we want these non-conformities corrected.’”
The audit found that more than 95% of major non-conformities point to structural failures such as unresolved environmental procedures dating back to 2019—specifically, a backlog including certificates, registrations, and licenses pending closure for over five years without effective documentation management.
Other issues include technical deficiencies in reviewing Environmental Impact Studies, missed legal deadlines, irregularities with environmental insurance policies, modifications of coordinates without legal basis, insufficient inspections, and lack of qualified staff across review components.
The initial report was released on November 8, 2025; responses from the Prefecture were submitted on November 19. After evaluating this documentation, only those findings with adequate support were closed by MAE; most major non-conformities remained due to insufficient evidence.
A definitive report was issued on January 16, 2026 listing 43 major and two minor non-conformities and required the Prefecture to submit a corrective action plan within eight days—a plan delivered on January 29 and currently under review.
“The audit responds to regular oversight of accredited environmental authorities and ensures decentralized powers operate under uniform technical and legal standards,” said Manzano. The Subsecretariat continues similar audits across other provinces as part of a national strategy aimed at strengthening preventive planning for solid evaluation processes rather than imposing sanctions.
