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SECURITY · ECUADOR

Quito security chief Carolina Andrade has resigned after more than three years in the post, Ecuadorian media reported on 28 September. She was one of the longest-serving officials in Mayor Pabel Muñoz’s administration.

Her resignation letter cites “personal reasons” and calls the decision irrevocable, according to Expreso, which saw the document. She will stay in office until Wednesday 30 September to hand over the job.

Pedestrians and a street kiosk on a cobbled street in Quito’s historic centre. The city’s security office runs prevention plans and camera monitoring alongside the National Police.

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A letter sent on 24 September

The Quito security chief informed the mayor in an official letter dated 24 September, Expreso reported. The news became public four days later, first through Primicias and then across Quito outlets, including Teleamazonas.

She took the job in May 2023, when Muñoz began his term. Her office, formally the General Secretariat for Citizen Security and Risk Management, also oversees disaster planning.

Andrade told reporters she would explain her reasons on 30 September and present a report on her tenure. Until then, only the letter’s wording is on the record.

Next stop: environmental crime in the Amazon

Andrade told Expreso her next role would be at a regional body working on environmental organised crime in the Amazon. Diario La Hora reported that the new job is based in Brazil.

Neither outlet has named the organisation. The move fits her background: before joining the city, she advised the Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think tank, on climate and security from 2021.

She is a political scientist trained at the Sorbonne in Paris. She also once coordinated intelligence at Senain, Ecuador’s former national intelligence agency, since abolished.

The camera dispute with the national government

Her departure comes after months of friction between the city and President Daniel Noboa’s government over Quito’s surveillance cameras. The resignation letter does not mention that dispute.

On 23 June, Interior Minister John Reimberg told a National Assembly committee that municipal camera systems were being used for purposes other than public safety. He also questioned the presence of former Senain officials in those systems.

On 10 August, Reimberg said the police had taken control of Quito’s camera centre, Expreso reported. He claimed “five or six” mirror rooms were linked to the municipal system and could expose police operations.

Andrade rejected that account and said no parallel room existed. She noted the city’s monitoring centre works inside the same building as ECU-911, the national emergency service.

What she leaves behind

Primicias and Teleamazonas credit her with an agreement with the Interior Ministry to reorganise 108 community police units in the capital. That deal shows the two levels of government could still cooperate.

Her farewell letter lists the city’s security plan for 2023 to 2027 and a disaster-risk plan for 2025 to 2033. Both remain in force regardless of who takes the post.

The change lands while Ecuador remains under a national security crackdown, covered in our report on Noboa’s extended security measures. For wider background, see Ecuador Explained.

What Is Not Yet Known

The city has not named a new Quito security chief. Expreso, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Gustavo Chiriboga, head of the Metropolitan Control Agency since March 2025, is expected to take over.

That appointment is not independently confirmed. The name of Andrade’s new employer, and whether the camera dispute played any part in her exit, are also still unclear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who resigned in Quito?

Carolina Andrade, the city’s security secretary since May 2023. Her exit became public on 28 September; she stays until 30 September.

Why did she resign?

She cited personal reasons and plans to work on environmental crime in the Amazon.

Who are the other players?

Mayor Pabel Muñoz, who received her letter on 24 September, and Interior Minister John Reimberg, who clashed with the city over its camera network.

Does policing change?

No. Nothing changes on the street this week; policing stays with the national forces.

Sources: Primicias, 28 September 2026; Expreso (resignation letter and new role), Expreso (profile and Reimberg testimony) and Expreso (successor), 28 September 2026; Teleamazonas, 28 September 2026; Diario La Hora, as carried by Cero Latitud, 28 September 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error