According to the latest report from the Argentine Foreign Ministry, former minister María de los Ángeles Duarte was received by the Argentine ambassador in Caracas.
Maria de los Ángeles Duarte, former Minister of Transportation, upon arrival at the trial in the Bribery case, on February 10, 2020.
The details about how and when María de los Ángeles Duarte escaped from the Argentine Embassy in Quito are still a mystery. And the diplomatic versions of the Argentine government do not help to resolve it.
However, it is confirmed that Duarte arrived at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, this March 14 at 11:00 a.m. (local time), and was attended by Ambassador Oscar Laborde and two other officials.
According to the statement from the Argentine government, the former Minister of Transportation did not provide “explanations about how she did it, or if she is with her son,” but she did ask about the documentation she could obtain to travel to Argentina soon.
Meanwhile, in the morning, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Vayas, met with the Argentine ambassador in Quito, Gabriel Fuks, to expand the information on the leak. However, the details provided by Argentine officials vary, the Foreign Ministry reported.
Therefore, Vayas reiterated to Ambassador Fuks the annoyance of the Ecuadorian Government in the face of this incident. And he requested that more information be provided, such as the security videos of the Embassy in Quito. However, this was rejected.
In addition, Ambassador Fuks maintains that he has not communicated with Duarte since his disappearance from the diplomatic headquarters.
The first version
This March 14, the Argentine Foreign Ministry reported what could have happened to former Minister Duarte inside the diplomatic residence.
According to the official statement, Ambassador Fuks noticed on the weekend of Saturday March 11 and Sunday March 12 that Duarte was no longer at the Embassy.
“No presence was registered in the wing of the building where Duarte lived, far from the official residence of the Argentine representative,” said the message from the Foreign Ministry.
After this, they proceeded to search for the former correísmo official in the different units, “without locating her whereabouts.”
After noticing the absence of Duarte, the Argentine Foreign Ministry communicated the news to its counterpart in Ecuador on the afternoon of Monday, March 13.
For Argentina, Duarte “has been absent by choice ” and without notifying the Embassy authorities.
Duarte, on whom an eight-year sentence for the Bribes case weighs, mentioned Tuesday that she decided to flee because the Government has not granted her the safe-conduct to take refuge in Argentina.
On December 1, the Argentine government already granted Duarte diplomatic asylum, but she lacked a safe-conduct to leave Ecuador without being detained.
