The foreigner says that each assault hurts them on the streets, because there are days when no one wants to buy from them out of fear.
An action by Víctor Martínez, a 33-year-old Venezuelan who sells chargers and cables every day on Quito Avenue, went viral this week when, unknowingly, a driver recorded him driving away an assailant.
Martínez intervened when he realized that a passenger in a taxi was assaulted by a man at the intersection of Quito with Sucre Street. In the video it is seen that the informal salesman approaches the man who opened the taxi door and takes him away from the unit.
The foreigner clarifies that he only “scared away” the thief, that he never confronted him, because he was also afraid and did not know if the criminal was armed or if he could retaliate against him later.
An informal vendor prevented theft from a taxi passenger who was circulating on Quito avenue
Martínez claims that he heard the cries for help from the woman in the back seat of a taxi. At that moment he approached and yelled at the subject, who ran away. Finally, nothing was stolen from the passenger.
“My intention was to drive him away, because I am taking care of my camel, because this is where my children eat,” he says.
The Venezuelan says that, after another video went viral weeks ago in which a compatriot threatened a man with a knife for not allowing his windshield to be cleaned, people out of fear would not open the windows to buy him. And that affects the income of all those who honestly try to earn a living on the street. Martínez says that many merchants were like that, suffering for days.
Martínez arrived in Ecuador almost five years ago. After working for a few months, he returned to Venezuela and brought his wife and three children. He tells that they traveled eight days by bus to get to Guayaquil from Maracay, Aragua state. A journey that has been made by thousands of Venezuelans who have left Venezuela due to the serious economic crisis.
Couple used a cat to assault a veterinary clinic located in the south center of Guayaquil
In addition to Victor, his six brothers are also in Ecuador and some of his nephews have arrived in recent years. The foreigner reports that his sisters work as manicurists, and that after spending so many years in the country what happens in the streets hurts him, because that affects everyone.
The foreigner says that he worked as a bricklayer in his country, since he knows how to install floors and ceilings; He learned that from his father and older brothers. But in Ecuador he has not been able to exercise that trade.
Martínez also studied some auto mechanic courses. He claims that he knows how to repair motorcycles and that he is looking for a better job to support his family. (I)
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
