“I probably would not have survived if not for the passports issued by Mr. Manuel Muñoz Borrero. I am forever grateful to him.” - Irene
My book has brought me a lot of attention. Some attention has been challenging, as those who embrace hate have found new voices in recent years, but most of the attention is wonderful. People write me to tell me they are inspired, especially during these challenging times. Hate is always an option and it is one that most people work to overcome.
I’ve also received information about my past.
In February 2021, I was contacted by Alberto Dorfzaun from Quito, Ecuador, who found a copy of the letter the Swiss government wrote to the Ecuadorian government requesting new Ecuadorian passports after our family’s passports were confiscated by the Germans before our exchange.
What is fascinating is that this letter references Mr. A. Muñoz Borrero, Consul of Ecuador in Stockholm, the man who issued the passports to Irene’s family.
Manuel Antonio Munoz Borrero was posthumously recognized as Righteous Among Nations by the State of Isreal in 2011, an honorific used to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews.
Mr. Manuel Antonio Munoz Borrero was appointed Consul to Stockholm in 1931. In 1941, he sent passports to Jews to save them. The Ecuadorian government told him to stop. He didn’t. As a result, he was fired, although the Ecuadorian government did not replace Borrero, and the Swedes did not confiscate the seals and documents used to issue more passports. Those remained in the Consulant’s, and hence, Munoz Borrero's possession.
Jewish leaders in Sweden asked that he issue passports to Jews in occupied Europe so that they could benefit from the relative protection afforded to Latin-American citizens. Munoz Borrero agreed, despite the fact that he had been forbidden to use any consulate-related papers or equipment. As a result, Munoz Borrero was questioned by the Swedish police and was under the surveillance of the Swedish secret service. Some of the Ecuadorian passports were sent to the Netherlands and four of those ended up with Irene’s family.
In 2018, Ecuador post humorously restored Dr. Munoz Borrero’s diplomatic status.