Quito, May 3 (EFE).- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador assured this Friday that there are 46 Ecuadorian emigrants abandoned on a highway in the State of Veracruz, in Mexico, who were part of a group of 407 foreigners rescued by Mexican authorities.
The Foreign Ministry in Quito, in a statement, indicated that its consulate in Mexico City “confirmed that 46 Ecuadorian citizens were abandoned on the Minatitlán-Acayucan highway, State of Veracruz, Mexico.”
He specified that the group of Ecuadorians is made up of 26 adults who were traveling alone and another 20 from family groups, according to information provided by the National Migration Institute (INM) of the State of Veracruz.
“The compatriots were part of a group of 407 foreigners in an irregular immigration situation, who were traveling in three tourist buses that were abandoned by their drivers on the side of the road,” the source added.
The Consulate of Ecuador in Mexico City confirmed that “all of the compatriots are in good health, have received care from the Mexican authorities and have been transferred to shelters and immigration stations in Veracruz,” added the Foreign Ministry in Quito.
In addition, he specified that Ecuadorian consular officials in Mexico are “following up on this case” and maintaining “contact with the immigration authorities of the State of Veracruz.”
Last Thursday, the National Migration Institute of Mexico reported on this case and specified that among the people traveling alone on the abandoned buses, the majority came from Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador.
On the same Thursday, Mexican authorities reported at least 208 migrants of different nationalities from Latin American and Asian countries located in a warehouse located in the State of Mexico, neighboring the capital in the center of the country.
Among the migrants, a dozen minors were identified, 28 women and 170 men, from Afghanistan, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Iran, Nepal, Palestine, Dominican Republic, Syria and Venezuela.
The people found were waiting for traffickers, also called ‘polleros’, to continue their journey to the Mexican border with the United States.
Mexico registered a record of irregular migration in 2023, growing 77.2% compared to the previous year.
For its part, Ecuador is suffering a new wave of irregular migration to the United States, motivated by the economic crisis, the lack of employment and the spiral of criminal violence on a national scale.
