Ecuador asks the US for clarification on the arrest of a 5-year-old boy | EUROtoday

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The authorities of Ecuador has requested info from U.S. authorities in regards to the alleged abduction of a five-year-old Ecuadorian boy in Minneapolis. This was introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifying that the case is being adopted by Quito to “protect the safety and well-being” of the minor”. The note reports that the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis “instantly requested official info” from the US Immigration Agency (ICE) to clarify the circumstances of the episode and the current situation of the child.

According to initial reconstructions, the minor and his father were stopped by immigration agents while returning home after school. This version, however, was partially denied by the Washington authorities, according to whom the child would be under guardianship after the father fled at the sight of the officers, leaving his son inside the vehicle.

The US Department of Homeland Security added that, in cases of this type, the family is consulted to assess whether the minor should be repatriated together with the parents or temporarily entrusted to a trusted person indicated by them. The Ecuadorian authorities will continue to follow the case through the consular network, in coordination with the US institutions, awaiting official clarifications on the methods of intervention and the minor’s conditions.