Ecuador’s former energy minister René Ortiz dies at 84

René Ortiz, a leading figure in Ecuador’s oil sector, died on 30 July 2026 at the age of 84. Ortiz, an engineer who studied in Ecuador and the United States, served twice as the country’s Minister of Energy, first under President Jamil Mahuad in the late 1990s and later under President Lenín Moreno in 2020‑2021 during the COVID‑19 crisis and a sharp drop in oil prices. He was appointed Secretary‑General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1978, a role he held from the organization’s headquarters in Vienna. Over a four‑decade career he held technical, corporate, and public positions, presiding over the Ecuador‑Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce, the Fundación de Estudios de Energía del Ecuador, and other industry bodies. His death was announced by Roberto Aspiazu, president of the Cámara de Energía del Ecuador, and marks the passing of one of the country’s most influential energy policymakers.