Ecuador announces the closure of its consulate in Venezuela

On September 13 local time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador issued a communiqué stating that it will close its consulate in Venezuela on September 14. This decision has attracted widespread attention from the international community.

It is reported that Ecuador made this decision for various reasons. Previously, Ecuador's arrest of former vice president Jorge Glas who was in the Mexican embassy in Ecuador triggered condemnation from many Latin American countries. Venezuela protested Ecuador's actions and withdrew its diplomatic personnel in Ecuador. Venezuela held presidential elections on July 28 this year. Ecuador questioned the voting results, which further aggravated the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador said that in order to continue providing consular services to Ecuadorian citizens in Venezuela, after closing the consulate in Venezuela, consular services such as emergency passports and certifications will be handled remotely at the consular institutions of Ecuador in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, and in Panama City, the capital of Panama.

Ecuador's move to close its consulate in Venezuela undoubtedly adds new variables to the already tense relations between the two countries. The international community is also closely following the follow-up development of this incident and whether the diplomatic situation in the region will be further affected as a result. This decision will have a certain impact on Ecuadorian citizens in Venezuela as well as trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The future direction of relations between Ecuador and Venezuela is full of uncertainties.