Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno ordered setting up specialized units to control Venezuelan immigrants after a Venezuelan man killed his pregnant Ecuadorian girlfriend in the northern city of Ibarra.
"President Moreno's official statement spurred a spiral of xenophobic violence against the Venezuelan migrant community in Ecuador," the ministry's statement read.
READ MORE: Ecuador Extends State of Emergency Over Influx of Venezuela Migrants — Reports
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza also said on Twitter that Caracas intended to take action that might be available to it against Ecuador's xenophobic behavior.
Ratificamos que el señor @Lenin y su gobierno son responsables de garantizar la integridad de l@s venezolan@s en Ecuador. Venezuela tomará acciones legales internacionales ante esta instigación xenófoba que prefigura delito y lesiona los derechos humanos de nuestros compatriotas https://t.co/1svmzudxv0
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) January 21, 2019
