Long gas lines continue despite government claim there is no shortage; Noboa meets with U.S. Vice President Vance; Jose Serrano denied U.S. asylum
Despite government claims that there is no gasoline shortage, gas stations in Quito, Guayaquil and other cities were running out of Extra and Ecopaís gasoline on Tuesday and Wednesday due to high demand. In Quito, some gas stations reported
back-ups of 20 to 30 cars waiting for fill-ups.
The Energy Ministry says social media rumors are to blame for the gas lines and accuses some gas stations of hoarding Extra and Ecopaís gasoline, the brand used by most motorists. It added that the rumors have increased daily demand by more than 15%, putting a strain on the delivery system.
Cars wait for fill-ups Wednesday night at a Quito gas station.
On Sunday, the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Hydrocarbons, an office of the Energy Ministry, reported it had cut back deliveries of fuel to distribution centers in Quito and Guayaquil by 30%.
Most gas stations in Cuenca reported an increase in demand for Ecopaís but said they had sufficient supplies. Two stations on the Pan American Highway north, however, said they ran out of Ecopaís early Wednesday afternoon and were awaiting new deliveries.
Noboa meets with U.S. Vice President Vance
President Daniel Noboa met Tuesday with U.S. Vice President James Vance in Washington, D.C. During the same visit Ecuador Foreign Affairs Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to sign a “diplomatic training” agreement between Ecuador and the U.S.
“Ecuador and the United States are fighting against enemies that do not recognize borders,” Noboa said on Instagram following his meeting with Vance. “Today, we continue to strengthen an alliance based on common resolve to confront drug trafficking together.”
Following her meeting the Landau, Sommerfield said that in addition to signing the diplomatic agreement, the two discussed ways to “end illegal immigration in the hemisphere.”
Jose Serrano denied U.S. asylum
Miami Federal Judge Romy Lerner on Wednesday denied the asylum petition of former Ecuador Interior Minister Jose Serrano. Serrano, a suspect in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, has been detained since August of last year at a U.S. Immigration and Customs processing center in South Florida.
Serrano had applied for U.S. asylum in October 2021, five months after entering the U.S. on a tourist visa.
With the refusal of the asylum request, Ecuador Interior Minister John Reimberg said that the former minister’s “only remaining options” are prison in the U.S. or in Ecuador. “Freedom is no longer a possibility for him,” Reimberg said, adding the Ecuador will ask that Serrano be extradited.
In addition to heading the Interior Ministry, Serrano served short terms as Defense Minister and Justice Minister in the government of former president Rafael Correa.
21 ‘irregular’ foreigners detained in Cuenca
The Undersecretary of Migration’s office reports that National Police took 21 ‘irregular’ foreigners into custody Wednesday. According to officials, the foreigners lacked current visas and/or identification and will be returned to their home countries.
Those detained include 11 Venezuelans, eight Colombians and two Peruvians. They were picked up at the Feria Libre market, Terminal Terrestre and the Chola Cuencana roundabout.
