Seeing the bunkers full, the desperation of the citizens, the terror on their faces are situations that the Ecuadorian Jhoao Estrella in Vinnytsia, who together with another compatriot, Ariel Ayo, undertook the trip to leave Ukraine.
Since last Thursday they decided to take their belongings and walk to the south of Ukraine. They opted for that route after finding out on the internet that it was not so controversial.
On the way they were looking for a ride. Some took them and others too, but they were charged for that transit.
The rapid heart beat was constant. They begged not to come across Russian troops.
“This is running for our lives. You have to take risks. I want to go back to my family. My friend and I plucked up courage,” says Jhoao.
Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín says that some 140 Ecuadorians have already managed to leave Ukraine
The 19-year-old boy from Quito, who had been in Ukraine studying the language since October 2021, crossed the Moldovan border and then arrived in Romania.
In Moldova they took away their passports, but after a communication from their relatives with the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry they returned them and they entered that country.
They then moved to Romania hoping to find a flight. His relatives did the impossible and “thank God” they have already bought the plane ticket, according to his mother, Mirian Lidioma.
For her, the fact that they are out of Ukraine is a great relief, but what she wants most is to have her son at home.
“I feel quite relieved because the first few days we were desperate. But knowing that my son was able to go to Moldova, I calmed down a bit. We are going to continue fighting for the boys who stayed behind,” says Mirian, who has not slept for three days.
‘My niece’s husband in the Ukraine has already been recruited; she was left alone with her son. There are women who are also called to war’
Jhoao travels at 18:00 on Sunday, February 27 (Romanian time). It will make stops in Vienna (Austria), Barcelona (Spain), Bogotá (Colombia) until reaching Quito. Possibly arrive this Monday.
His brother Ronny highlights the bravery of his younger brother, who has inspired other Ecuadorians to follow the same path. Some are on their way to the border with Moldova.
“They are asking us where they should go, how they can do it, and my brother is telling them. The idea is that everyone gets out of there, ”he mentions.
According to Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín, there are 787 Ecuadorians in Ukraine. Of these, 140 have managed to cross the border. Almost 100 are already in Poland, 20 in Romania and 8 are on the border with Hungary.
“More than 150 humanitarian and emergency passports have been issued from Ecuador, more than 12 birth certificates,” says Holguín.
According to data from the Foreign Ministry, the majority of Ecuadorians reside in Kiev, the capital, with 223. In Zaporizhia there are 140, in Lviv 83 and in Kharkiv 47. At the moment it is unknown if these figures are the same, since the compatriots are mobilizing.
Consul Francisco Lasso: Ecuadorians will not require a Schengen visa to cross the Ukrainian border with other European countries
Meanwhile, there are eight Ecuadorians who are in Medyka, Poland, and aspire to reach Italy or Spain, where they have relatives.said William Murillo, director of 1800-Migrante, an organization that provides legal aid and advice to migrants in the United States.
The compatriots are from Quito, Ibarra, Guayaquil and other cities in the country. Among them is a 2-year-old girl.
Dennis Oviedo, 25, is with his wife and daughter and a group of students. He said they feel “alone and abandoned” by the Ecuadorian authorities.
“Last Tuesday I personally met with the Ecuadorian consul who works in Vienna and who came to Kiev and told us clearly that the Ecuadorian government does not have the resources to get us out and that each one will have to solve their problems,” he said.
Ecuadorians are found in these Ukrainian cities
According to Murillo, in the group there are vulnerable Ecuadorians who need medicine and others who do not have identification documents or expired passports.
“We will support our compatriots wherever they are and I call on Ecuadorians to show solidarity with them in these hard times that are happening in a region of the world that is experiencing a military invasion and where thousands of innocents are victims, including many Ecuadorians,” he said. Murillo. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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