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{{EW hero|portal=guide|kicker=[[:Category:Legal & Administrative|Legal & Administrative]]|emoji={{EW teaser/data|Government Entities|e}}|title=Government Entities|hook={{EW teaser/data|Government Entities}}|min=5}}
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{{Infobox
| title = 🏛️ Government Entities on the Peninsula
| label1 = Province
| data1 = Santa Elena Province
| label2 = Cantons
| data2 = Santa Elena, La Libertad, Salinas
| label3 = National Authority
| data3 = Ecuadorian central government
| label4 = Key Local Body
| data4 = GAD (Descentralized Autonomous Governments)
| label5 = Capital
| data5 = Santa Elena city
}}

The Santa Elena Peninsula is administered by a mix of national government agencies, provincial bodies, and cantonal governments. Understanding which entity is responsible for which services helps navigate bureaucracy.

== Provincial Government ==

'''Santa Elena Province''' is governed by the Gobierno Provincial de Santa Elena (GADPSE, usually just called the '''Prefectura'''), headquartered in Santa Elena city. Prefect 2023–2027: José Daniel Villao (re-elected in 2023); vice-prefect: Juanita Córdova. The provincial government is responsible for:
* Inter-cantonal roads and bridges
* Agricultural and rural development projects
* Some water and infrastructure projects
* Environmental management (in coordination with national bodies)

== Cantonal Governments (GAD Municipales) ==

The Peninsula is divided into three cantons, each with its own GAD (Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal):

* '''GAD Municipal Santa Elena''' — the interior and the northern coast (Ruta del Spondylus); seat in Santa Elena city. Mayor 2023–2027: Mgtr. María del Carmen Aquino Merchán. Municipal companies include EMASA EP (rubbish collection).
* '''GAD Municipal La Libertad''' — La Libertad city (a fully urban canton). Mayor 2023–2027: Francisco Tamariz Guerrero. Municipal company LALITRAN EP runs transit.
* '''GAD Municipal Salinas''' — Salinas, José Luis Tamayo (Muey) and Anconcito. Mayor 2023–2027: Dennis Córdova.

The three cantons share '''Aguapen EP''' (drinking water, sewers and wastewater; it also bills rubbish collection) and '''Cenfar EP''' (the regional slaughterhouse in La Libertad).

Each GAD handles:
* Local roads and public spaces
* Municipal permits and taxes (property tax, operating permits)
* Waste collection (water and sewers are run jointly through Aguapen EP)
* Local parks and cultural infrastructure

== Key National Government Offices on the Peninsula ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Entity !! Function !! Location
|-
| [[SRI Ecuador|SRI]] || Tax authority || La Libertad
|-
| ANT || Vehicle registration, driver's licenses || La Libertad / Santa Elena
|-
| [[Registro Civil]] || Birth/death/marriage registry, cédulas || La Libertad, Santa Elena
|-
| [[IESS]] || Social security, healthcare || La Libertad
|-
| [[Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores]] || Visas, passports, apostilles || Regional offices
|-
| SENAE (Aduana) || Customs || Guayaquil (nearest major office)
|-
| Policía Nacional || Law enforcement || Throughout Peninsula
|-
| [[Viceministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio]] || Cultural heritage || National; regional offices
|}

{{EW dyk|emoji=🚑|…911 is the one number for police, ambulance and fire anywhere in Ecuador?|page=Emergency Contacts|cta=Save the numbers →}}

== Parish Governments ==

Below the cantons, each '''rural parish''' (''parroquia rural'') has its own elected '''GAD parroquial''' (junta parroquial), which handles small public works, community projects and local representation.

{| class="wikitable"
! Canton !! Rural parishes
|-
| Santa Elena || [[Atahualpa]], [[Chanduy]], [[Colonche]], [[Manglaralto]] (which includes [[Montañita]], [[Olón]] and the other north-coast comunas), San José de Ancón, Simón Bolívar (Julio Moreno)
|-
| Salinas || José Luis Tamayo (Muey), [[Anconcito]]
|-
| La Libertad || None — the canton is a single urban parish
|}

Below the parishes, many villages are '''comunas''': ancestral communities that own their land collectively and elect a '''cabildo''' (community council) every year. The cabildo decides on land use, beach concessions and local fees, so it is the first place to ask about anything that happens on comuna land.

== Councils (2023–2027) ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Canton !! Mayor !! Vice-mayor !! Council
|-
| Santa Elena || Mgtr. María del Carmen Aquino Merchán (the canton's first woman mayor) || Tlgo. Darwin Tomás Villao Tomalá || 9 councillors — urban: Valeria Bohórquez Borbor, Robinson Domenech Bernabé, Denisse Sandoval Bermeo; rural: Erika Briones Macías, Ruth Villao Flores, Salomón Gonzabay Parrales, Cindy Bonilla Orrala, Tannia Marca Altamirano (plus the vice-mayor)
|-
| La Libertad || Francisco Tamariz Guerrero || — || Luis Menoscal Gómez, Cindy Suárez Acevedo, Bruno Dedé Llerena, Jeniffer Marcillo Vera, Violeta Muñoz Laínez, Washington Carriel Carrillo
|-
| Salinas || Ing. Dennis Córdova || Tnlga. Susana Baquerizo Sotomayor || Mauricio Ponce Cartwright, Edwin Molina Palacios, Priscila Del Pezo Arias, Valentín Soriano Soriano, Rommel Rivera Márquez, César Iván Pinoargote Rovello
|}
Council sessions are public, and each GAD publishes its ordinances and budget on its website under ''Ley de Transparencia'' (LOTAIP).

'''Money:''' La Libertad budgeted about USD 58 million for 2023; by year-end it had collected 44% of planned revenue and spent 52% of the budget — a gap that is common across Ecuador's municipalities and a good reason to read any announced project with patience.

== Who runs what ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Service !! Who !! Level
|-
| Raw water transfer and irrigation canals || Environment and Water Ministry (MAATE, formerly Senagua); the system was built by Cedegé || National
|-
| Drinking water, sewers, wastewater lagoons || '''Aguapen EP''', joint company of the three municipalities || Cantonal (joint)
|-
| Water on the north coast and inland || Community water boards (''juntas de agua''), e.g. the Juntas Regionales of Olón, Manglaralto and Valdivia || Comuna
|-
| Rubbish collection || '''EMASA EP''' in Santa Elena; municipal departments in La Libertad and Salinas. The fee is billed on the Aguapen water bill || Cantonal
|-
| Electricity: generation / high-voltage lines / distribution and bills || CELEC EP / CELEC Transelectric / '''CNEL EP''' Santa Elena || National
|-
| Highways E-40 (to Guayaquil) and E-15 (Ruta del Spondylus) || Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP) || National
|-
| Rural roads, irrigation, rural development, environment || Prefectura de Santa Elena (GADPSE) || Provincial
|-
| City streets, parks, markets, land use, building permits || Each municipality || Cantonal
|-
| Urban transit and bus routes || LALITRAN EP in La Libertad; municipal transit departments elsewhere; ANT for licences || Cantonal / National
|-
| Oil field (Ancón) || Pacifpetrol || Private (state concession)
|-
| La Libertad refinery and fuel pipelines || Petroecuador || National
|-
| Salinas airport || Civil Aviation (DGAC) || National
|-
| Anconcito fishing port || Inmobiliar (state property agency) || National
|-
| Santa Rosa and other fishing beaches || Fishers' cooperatives and associations || Local
|-
| Ports, beaches and boats at sea || Capitanía del Puerto de Salinas (Navy) || National
|-
| Tsunami maps and tide tables || INOCAR (Navy oceanographic institute) || National
|-
| Slaughterhouse || '''Cenfar EP''', joint company of the three cantons (La Libertad industrial zone) || Cantonal (joint)
|-
| Public health centres || Ministry of Public Health (MSP), districts 24D01 Santa Elena and 24D02 La Libertad–Salinas || National
|-
| Public schools || Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), districts 24D01 and 24D02 || National
|-
| Emergencies || ECU 911, Policía Nacional, municipal fire brigades (Bomberos) || National / Cantonal
|}
See [[How the Peninsula Works]] for how each system works.

''Sources: the cantonal and provincial PDOTs of Santa Elena, La Libertad and Salinas.''

== See Also ==
* [[How the Peninsula Works]] — who runs water, power, rubbish and roads
* [[SRI Ecuador]]
* [[IESS]]
* [[Registro Civil]]
* [[Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores]]
* [[Viceministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio]]
* [[Document Checklist Ecuador]]

{{EW explore|SRI Ecuador|IESS|Legal Aid Ecuador|Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores|Registro Civil|Montañita}}
{{EW next|Document Checklist Ecuador}}

[[Category:Legal & Administrative]]
[[Category:Living on the Peninsula]]
[[Category:La Peninsula]]

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