The Student Sports Federation of Esmeraldas is intervened due to legal lack of leadership

The Vice Ministry of Sport intervened in the Student Sports Federation of the Province of Esmeraldas due to a vacancy in its legal representation and appointed Ms. Gabriela Matilde Intriago Batioja as the interventor. The decision is detailed in Resolution No. MINEDEC-VD-2026-0239-R, signed on August 28, 2026, by Vice Minister Roberto Xavier Ibáñez Romero and published in the Third Supplement No. 391 of the Official Registry on Friday, October 16, 2026.

The instrument is based on numeral 1 of article 230 of the Organic Law of Sport, Physical Education, and Recreation, published in the Sixth Supplement of the Official Registry No. 223 on February 11, 2026, which empowers the governing body to intervene in sports organizations when a vacancy in legal representation is verified. The authority to sign these acts was delegated to the Vice Ministry through Ministerial Agreement No. MINEDEC-MINEDEC-2026-00041-A on May 15, 2026, within the framework of the merger of the defunct Ministry of Sport into the Ministry of Education, Sport, and Culture.

The resolution specifies that the intervention “does not constitute a sanctioning measure, but rather an administrative action of an exceptional and temporary nature,” aimed at restoring institutionality and safeguarding the rights of athletes. The General Regulation of the law, issued via Executive Decree No. 422 on June 12, 2026, waives the prior ordinary administrative process when the invoked cause is a vacancy in representation.

A board expired since May 2026

• The last registered board is listed in Official Letter No. MD-CZ1-2024-0307-OF dated April 26, 2024, with validity until May 12, 2026.
• Since May 13, 2026, the federation has been without current legal representation, according to the verification carried out in the SODE system.
• Memorandum No. MINEDEC-CZ1-2026-09052-M dated August 26, 2026, issued by the Coordination of Education, Sport, and Culture of Zone 1, concluded that the cause is established by an objective registry fact and recommended intervening in the organization.

The file also proves the receipt of public funds, a requirement the law demands to enable intervention:

• 2024: USD 10,023.57, via Resolution No. MD-DM-2024-0459-RESOL of May 22, 2024.
• 2025: USD 10,023.57, via Resolution No. MD-DM-2025-0480-R of March 20, 2025.
• 2026: USD 14,998.57 allocated, although the Annual Operating Plan was not approved via Official Letter No. MINEDEC-DRPRCDAF-2026-0134-O of June 2, 2026, precisely because the board had expired.

Interventor with full powers for 180 days

Article 3 of the resolution grants a period of one hundred and eighty days to remedy the cause, in accordance with Article 206 of the General Regulations. Article 4 provides that the interventor shall have the same functions and powers as the president and the legal representative for the duration of their term, and lists 26 attributions, including:

• Exercising the legal, judicial, and extrajudicial representation of the organization.
• Appointing the administrator, accountant, treasurer, secretary, and other employees.
• Convening and directing general assemblies.
• Ensuring that funds are used in accordance with the budgets and annual planning.
• Controlling accounts, budget execution, accounting, and financial statements.
• Inspecting and administering the real estate assets of the body.
• Calling for elections and directing the corresponding assembly.

The profile of the appointee was validated by the Directorate of Training and Certification of Sports System Activities through Memorandum No. MINEDEC-DCCASD-2026-0241-M dated August 27, 2026, which verified compliance with Article 208 of the General Regulations. Article 5 expressly orders the calling of elections in accordance with current regulations.

Notifications and open administrative channel

The resolution provides for the notification of the act to 16 recipients, including the undersecretariats of Sports System Services, Physical Activity, and Sports, several national directorates, Zonal Coordination 1, the former members of the board registered in 2024, the interventor herself, and the legal representative of the National Student Sports Federation (FEDENAES).

The administrative channel is opened for interested parties to present their defenses, in application of Article 76 of the Constitution of the Republic. The monitoring of the management is the responsibility of the Directorate of Physical Education, and the intervention shall terminate when the new board is registered with the Ministry of Education, Sport, and Culture.

The measure directly affects athletes, coaches, and leaders of the province, who since May have operated without a governing body capable of legally binding itself, managing accounts, or rendering accounts to the governing body. With the intervention, the federation recovers administrative capacity to execute its planning and steer the electoral process that must restore legitimate and registered leadership.

Source: Official Registry, Third Supplement No. 391, Friday, October 16, 2026, p. 31 (official reference: MINEDEC-VD-2026-0239-R).