This Wednesday, a group of seven people forcibly entered the headquarters of the Venezuelan Consulate in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.
Fernando Bello, head of the Consulate, reported that the “criminal gang” broke into the offices “with firearms” and “subdued all diplomatic personnel” and the public that was in the Consulate.
“They beat us, they vexed us because of the political issue […] pretending to insult us because we are Chavistas,” said the consul, after pointing out that the aggressors said they were going to withdraw the little that was in the Consulate, before expelling them from the place.
According to the diplomat, the assailants took all the cash “that corresponds to the consular income”, product of the procedures that are carried out there.
Bello indicated that “unfortunately” the Consulate does not have “a permanent police guard” nor ” the guarantees that every diplomatic representation must have”, according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
After the incident, members of the National Police of Ecuador arrived at the site to conduct the respective investigations.
This attack came hours after personnel sent by the self-proclaimed “president in charge” of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, assaulted the Venezuelan embassy in Costa Rica.
#VIDEO | According to Consul General Fernando Bello, criminals stormed the headquarters with firearms, subduing all diplomatic personnel. “They took all the cash “#SucreInforma pic.twitter.com/KFhoiMwOfT
– Radio Sucre 700 AM (@radio_sucre) February 21, 2019
Source: Se repite la historia de Costa Rica en el consulado venezolano en Ecuador
Venezuelan Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador Stormed by Intruders
Sputnik – Seven attackers stormed the Venezuelan consulate building in the city of Guayaquil in western Ecuador and stole money from it, the EFE news agency has reported.
The EFE news agency reported that the perpetrators threatened diplomatic personnel and visitors with firearms.
Venezuelan Consul General Fernando Bello wrote on social media that there were four men and three women among the intruders. They attacked several diplomatic workers and called them Chavists.
The consul general said that the stolen money was a consular service fee. The diplomat called the sum insignificant.
The perpetrators also tore all telephone wires in the building.
The police have interviewed the witnesses and the victims of the attack and promised to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.
Ecuador is among the states that have recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president and recognized his diplomatic representative in the country. However, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito is still led by the diplomats appointed by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
