The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, spoke out again this Thursday about the images shared on social media showing a person burning documents on the terrace of the Cuban embassy in Quito, an incident that occurred amid the recent diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
During an interview with Radio Canela, the leader reacted with irony to what happened at the diplomatic headquarters.
“I didn’t know that part of the Cuban diet was to cook papers... they went out to the terrace to burn a bunch of papers,” he stated while commenting on the video that went viral this Wednesday and that the president himself shared on his X account.
Amid the laughter of the radio show hosts, Noboa also questioned the possible destruction of documents and expressed doubts about the nature of the material that was being incinerated.
“I don't think it's anything positive if they were burning tons of paper out there on the terrace,” he pointed out.
In his opinion, if these were relevant diplomatic documents, they could have been taken out of the country through the usual channels.
“Any diplomatic paper can be sent in a diplomatic pouch, and the State cannot touch it,” he explained; and he added: “Maybe they were not important documents, maybe it was something else...” he said, adding mystery to the matter.
The leader also reiterated his surprise at the scene captured in the video: “I don’t think it’s a positive thing if they were burning hundreds of papers in broad daylight.”
The images that sparked the controversy show a person placing documents in a grill or metal container on the roof of the diplomatic building to incinerate them, raising questions about the possible destruction of files before the departure of Cuban personnel from the country.
Noboa himself shared it on X along with the ironic message: "Grill of papers."
The incident occurred shortly after the Ecuadorian government declared persona non grata to the Cuban ambassador in Quito, Basilio Gutiérrez, and to all diplomatic staff from the island, giving them a 48-hour deadline to leave the national territory, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
In parallel, Noboa signed an executive decree that terminated the functions of the Ecuadorian ambassador in Havana, further deepening the diplomatic rift between the two countries.
The decision made by Quito and the events that took place at the Cuban embassy occur against a backdrop of increasing bilateral tension, which has sparked criticism from the island's government and reignited the debate over the extent of the diplomatic crisis between Ecuador and Cuba.
Díaz-Canel lashes out at Ecuador, accusing it of submitting to imperial interests
On March 5, Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted to Ecuador's decision to expel all diplomatic staff from the island, including the ambassador, describing the measure as "unjustified, hostile, and unfriendly."
In a message published on social media, Díaz-Canel stated that the Ecuadorian government's decision "damages the historic relations of friendship and cooperation between our peoples."
Additionally, he accused Quito of acting with “clear submission to imperial interests,” amidst what he described as a turbulent international context.
He also assured that Cuba will continue to defend Latin American unity and expressed his support for the "people of Alfaro and Guayasamín," referring to historical figures from Ecuador.
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