Previous Story
The 33 fishermen, convicted in the US, returned to Ecuador
Posted On 16 Nov 2017
Ecuadornews:
Last Tuesday night, November 14, an unusual movement was recorded at the Cotopaxi International Airport, an average of 40 people were waiting in the rooms, and they were the relatives of the 33 fishermen who were serving sentences for illicit drug trafficking in the United States.
The plane of the Ecuadorian Air Force arrived at 21:20, the sound of its propellers breaking the wind made the heart of the occupants of the waiting room vibrate of emotion. “My compatriots, my brothers, return to Ecuador,” were the words with which the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Cults, Rosana Alvarado, welcomed them.
The scene was filled with endless hugs, kisses and tears, when the families got reunited with their loved ones. All led to a reflection by the authorities; to not be seduced by the big mafias. “The real bosses enjoy millions in profits,” Alvarado said.
The transfer of the people who before falling into the hands of justice were engaged in fishing in the coastal sector of the country was carried out after the signing of an inter-institutional cooperation agreement. They called it the Pilot Plan for the Repatriation of Ecuadorians in the United States of America.
This document was signed on October 16 by the Defense minister, Patricio Zambrano; Interior minister, César Navas; External Relations and Human Mobility minister, María Fernanda Espinosa; and Justice, Human Rights and Cults minister.
“It’s been days, months, even years of pain, suffering, (…) now it’s up to you to be spokespersons so that other fishermen brothers do not fall back into the drug trafficking networks,” said Carlos Carrión Astudillo, representative of the family of the people deprived of freedom, who also thanked the efforts of the National Government, through the Ministry of Justice, because they managed the repatriation of the 33 men.
According to Minister Alvarado, more than 300 people would be deprived of freedom in the United States for the same reason as the fishermen. (I)
