Romanian honorary consul in El Salvador dies in suspect circumstances

The Romanian honorary consul to El Salvador, Ricardo Emanuel Salume Barake, has died in suspect circumstances, local authorities have confirmed on Sunday.

The consul, a Salvadoran citizen, was Romania’s only diplomatic representative in the country. His body was found at his home, bound and gagged in what is suspected of being a homicide, Salvadoran police said. 

Ricardo Emanuel Salume Barake was aged 71. According to press reports, the attackers did not use force to enter his home in a wealthy part of El Salvador’s capital San Salvador, and used the consulate’s car to escape the premises. 

This is the second murder involving a diplomat in the crime-ridden country, after the death of Panama’s honorary consul, Carlos Armado Lemus, on May 26. The diplomat’s body was found in an abandoned car in the capital. 

El Salvador has one of the highest crime rates in the world, mainly caused by the bitter rivalry between two gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18. Despite government efforts to crack down on gang-related crime, the situation is very difficult to manage and has made the Central American country one of the most dangerous places to live.

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Georgeta Gheorghe