Rolando Antonio González Vargas, a young Venezuelan, has been reported missing in Ecuador since the afternoon of Sunday, June 11, after requesting help through social networks. According to reports, Gonzalez was in the canton of Puerto Lopez, located in the coastal province of Manabi.
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Gonzalez expressed distress and claimed to be being chased by two armed individuals. In the video, he called for help and mentioned that he was taking refuge in a house, but the people sheltering him refused to call the police. Gonzalez described his location as the end of a beach in Puerto Lopez.
After posting the video, there has been no further information on his whereabouts. Family, friends, and several Ecuadorian organizations, such as the Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) and the Asociación de Familiares y Amigos de Personas Desaparecidas en Ecuador (Asfadec), have circulated photographs and the video of González to request help in locating him.
The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) has also initiated the search and issued a statement requesting anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rolando Antonio González Vargas to immediately contact the authorities. According to the FGE, the disappearance is presumed to have occurred on the Malecon in Puerto Lopez, and they have provided the telephone number 1800-335486 for citizens to provide relevant information about the missing young man.