Ecuadorian Awarded in Israel for Saving Jews in WWII

Hoy.com.ec reports that the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem awarded Manuel Antonio Borrero a medal of ‘National Justice’ for saving Jews during World War II. The medal was awarded on Thursday June 23rd. According to Hoy, this is the highest award of honor given to non-Jews who helped save Jewish lives. Borrero who was born in Cuenca became the Ecuadorian consul in Stockholm in 1931. Five years later, he sent 80 passports to Istanbul in order to help save Polish Jews. The Ecuadorian consul was shutdown when the authorities in Sweden discovered Borrero’s operation. However, without a replacement and no follow up by Swedish authorities, Borrero continued his work. Many of the people Borrero helped did not survive the war. Reportedly, the secret police ‘torpedoed’ the operation. The Ambassador to Israel at the time, Raul Guillermo Bassante Ramirez, participated in this operation with Borrero.Read Article