The controversial role of the wife of the President of the Republic or first lady does not lose validity. Now it was the turn of the 25-year-old influencer and Daniel Noba’s spouse, Lavinia Valbonesi.
Probably, the first lady, Lavinia Valbonesi, is one of the most famous and popular women in Ecuador, to the point that a business in Manta personified her in the style of a Barbie doll, in January.
At 25 years old, Valbonesi, as a good representative of centennials, is an influencer on social networks. Between her TikTok and Instagram accounts she has more than a million followers. And that powerful platform served her husband Daniel Noboa during the electoral campaign, and it serves her now to publicize her work.
But what is the first lady’s job? None. Legally it does not exist.
The title held by Valbonesi is merely protocol and traditional. But, previously, between the 1960s and 2007, the wives of the leaders were appointed presidents of the defunct National Institute for Children and the Family, which had its own budget.
However, it is common to see Valbonesi at state events or as a government representative, even before international organizations. Since the first lady or first servant, as Valbonesi has defined herself, she heads the project “Rescue of Women and Children in situations of violence.”
The management of the first lady
On March 8, as part of the commemoration of International Women’s Day, the first lady, Lavinia Valbonesi, presented her project “Rescue of Women and Children in Situations of Violence.”
The self-imposed objective of the first ‘servant’ is to train women victims of gender violence, who are in Shelters, “to empower them, strengthen their identity and promote their financial independence.”
However, the initiative falls within the legal and administrative powers of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights, directed by Arianna Tanca. That is why the project was launched during a government event. That is, using resources and personnel of the Executive.
In addition, Valvonesi has a work team and an office, which appears to be located in Carondelet. But since she is not a public official and does not receive state resources or remuneration, she cannot be supervised by the Assembly or the Comptroller’s Office. And she, too, is not obliged to adhere to the Transparency Law.
For example, in response to a PRIMICIAS request, the Communication Secretariat reported that since she is not an official of the Presidency, they do not have information about how and with whom she carries out her work.
But, despite not being a government official, various public entities count on her for their events and for the delivery of resources or social visits. The Presidency itself announced the launch of its project.
The first lady has the will and energy to participate in events in different parts of the country together with the ministries of Women, Sports, Health, Culture, Inclusion, Risks, the Higher Education Council, public health centers, universities and NGOs.
His individual agenda is extensive, just as it was during the election campaign.
Even the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington organized and accompanied Lavinia Valbonesi’s trip to the United States, where she met with Jill Biden, Joe Biden’s wife, with representatives of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pan American Foundation for Development. Development, of the Organization of American States.
And, according to the ‘first servant’s own reports, these efforts have been successful in the search for international cooperation for her project.
The goal of her administration is to help Ecuadorian women break the cycles of violence and, despite her husband’s short time in office, she aims to generate a change in the stigma that prevents women from talking about the issue and seeking help.
“We are going to equip these centers with tablets and technological resources so that they can receive different courses, and at the end, when they have completed their cycle, with the help of Ministries and private companies, place them in jobs,” Valbonesi told PRIMICIAS.
A controversial and sexist charge
The position was eliminated by former president Rafael Correa, as sexist and illegitimate, since being the spouse or partner of a president does not imply a qualification to exercise public functions, which must be achieved at the polls or, technically, through delegitimized meritocracy.
However, between 2017 and 2021, Lenín Moreno revived the ‘tradition‘, under the same stereotypical standards, of assigning care tasks to his wife Rocío González. She was thus appointed as a delegate to the “A Whole Life” Plan Committee.
The only modification was that it was an unpaid position, although it did require public resources for its execution.
With Guillermo Lasso the situation remained similar, although he was in charge of issuing a Code of Ethics that prohibited spouses, partners or family members of Executive authorities from holding public positions.
But, in practice, his wife María de Lourdes Alcívar had a leading role in her husband’s decisions and did not stop carrying out activities as a representative of the government.
After coming to power, Daniel Noboa modified the Code of Ethics on December 19, 2023, but maintained the prohibitions for family members and partners of the authorities. Until he had a sudden change of mind.
On February 23, the President repealed his own Code and left open room for maneuver on this issue, which could point to the benefits of the social role and the reach that his wife and first lady, Lavinia Valbonesi, who is running for office, has demonstrated. as the friendly face of his government.
