Ecuador

In Ecuador, no one can act outside the law

In response to a report that a Hindu guru had a established his own island off the coast of Ecuador, Ambassador Jaime Marchan Romero clarifies that no individual would ever be allowed to annex off land from a sovereign state

With regard to your report on the alleged establishment of an island nation off the coast of my country by an Indian national known as Nithyananda (Hindu guru on the run sets up own island nation, 6 December), this embassy wishes to clarify that it is absolutely false that Nithyananda or any of his associates have or could ever have established in Ecuador a so-called “cosmic republic” for their followers and supporters.

Ecuador is a sovereign and independent republic and not a res nullius (nobody’s land) where any national or foreign adventurer can act outside the law.

Nithyananda entered Ecuador (Guayaquil) on 5 July 2018 as a tourist and then applied for international protection status. While his request was being analysed, he was given a temporary visa on 19 October 2018. After careful consideration of his request, the Ecuadorian National Commission in charge ruled out the application of Nithyananda for refugee status. Not satisfied with the response, he filed a complaint for protective action in the Ecuadorian judiciary system that did not prosper. In consequence, Nithyananda left Ecuador in August 2019. While leaving Ecuador, he said that his destination would be Haiti.
Jaime Marchan Romero
Ambassador of Ecuador in the United Kingdom