ECUADOR APOLOGIZES TO KIN OF COVID-19 VICTIMS

Ecuador's government Friday (Saturday, August 1, 2020 in Manila) publicly apologized to the families of Guayaquil's COVID-19 victims whose bodies remain missing, teleSUR reported.

The apology came after a a Guayaquil's judge issued a sentence against several institutions involved in the bodies disappearance. The complaint against these institutions was promoted by the Ombudsman’s Office in the city.

The judge's verdict also demanded Ecuador's Health Ministry and Social Security Institute to train their employees about the protocol of the corpses' manipulation in times of pandemic. The government's apology was published in a local outlet and was signed by the Guasmo Sur Hospital's manager.

“We apologize to the family of the victims, whose bodies remain missing. We also express our apologies to the relatives that were able to find for themselves the bodies of their loved ones,” the statement assured. According to the Ombudsman office, there was a clear violation against the rights to human dignity, personal integrity, the constitutional right of access to high-quality public services and legal security. The Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, Ministry of Health, the General Norte Guayaquil Los Ceibos, and the Teodoro Maldonado are also obliged to grant integral reparation to the victim’s families.