<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Government of Ecuador has inaugurated its first identity card printing point in Madrid, through its Embassy in Spain, for the migrant community residing in Europe.</strong></h4> The inauguration took place this past Tuesday and was carried out by the General Directorate of Civil Registry, Identification, and Identification, attached to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society, and the Embassy of Ecuador in Spain. The identity card printing point, located at the Consulate General of Ecuador in Madrid, will be open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. “This is the first time in history that a government has installed ID printing stations abroad, allowing Ecuadorian citizens living in Europe to obtain their ID quickly and securely, within a maximum of 48 hours, once the biometric validation process is completed, drastically reducing wait times that previously exceeded 45 days,” the Embassy stated in a press release. Spain is home to nearly 450,000 Ecuadorians, one of the largest communities abroad. For them, “this ID printing center represents not only an ID document, but also a direct bridge to their country, a concrete response to their right to be recognized and identified,” the Embassy continued. The initiative was promoted by the government of President Daniel Noboa Azín and is the result of coordinated work between the Civil Registry, attached to the Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society (MINTEL); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, the Embassy, and the Consulate General in Madrid. Ottón Rivadeneira, Director General of the Civil Registry, highlighted the significance of this action: “This is not just a technological improvement; it is an act of justice and closeness. Opening this ID printing location in Madrid demonstrates with facts that the Government of New Ecuador stands with its people anywhere in the world. We are taking firm steps toward a more humane, efficient, and global Ecuador. This is a clear example that we are a government that never stops.” For his part, Nixon Intriago, an Ecuadorian migrant who has lived in Spain for more than 25 years, was one of the first citizens to obtain his ID card in Madrid: "I want to thank the government led by President Daniel Noboa for making this aspiration of obtaining our ID cards here in Spain a reality. Before, we had to go to Ecuador or wait here for long weeks to get our ID cards. Today, I have my document in my hands in half an hour. This is dignity, this is belonging. I feel closer to my country." Wilma Andrade, Ecuador's ambassador to Spain, highlighted the collaborative work between government institutions to bring this initiative to fruition: "As Ecuador's representative in Spain, it is an honor to inaugurate this pioneering ID printing service here in Madrid." The ambassador also expressed her gratitude for the "leadership and political will of President Daniel Noboa, Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, and Minister of Telecommunications Roberto Kury, as well as for the joint work with the Civil Registry, headed by Ottón Rivadeneira." "This Embassy and the Consulate General in Madrid are taking a technological and human leap forward that will directly benefit thousands of Ecuadorians residing in Spain and throughout the European Union," she added. This opening in Madrid follows the ID printing point in New York, inaugurated last December, "consolidating an unprecedented public policy abroad that breaks down geographical barriers and extends the right to identity beyond our borders," the Embassy concluded.
