Ecuador Aids Victims of Spanish Housing Crisis

​Thousands of Ecuadorians that once faced housing mortgage disaster in Spain have received broad support from the government of President Rafael Correa, according to reports in Ecuadorian media Monday.

At least 30,000 Ecuadorians facing mortgage problems in Spain have received legal aid from Correa's government, and many have already reached out-of-court settlements that have saved their assets, according to an investigation published by Ecuador's El Telegrafo newspaper.

“Everything was hopeless. I endured what I could and I considered returning to Quito,” said one Ecuadorian caught up in Spain's mortgage crisis, Letizia Chiriboga.

RELATED: Ecuador Stands up Against Big Banks for Its Citizens in Spain

Chiriboga lost her home in Spain, but was aided by a team of Ecuadorian lawyers in securing public housing in Spain.

Since 2013, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has been involved in a campaign to aid Ecuadorians in Spain like Chiriboga. The government in Quito has already passed legislation barring foreign banks from seizing Ecuadorian property to settle foreign debts, and Patino has vowed to do more.

The thousands of Ecuadorians facing mortgage problems in Spain largely include migrants who purchased real estate prior to the 2008 global financial crisis. The crisis saw Spanish housing prices tumble after decades of soaring prices.

Tens of thousands of Ecuadorians were caught up in the financial crisis, with many losing their homes in Spain.