Greek ambassador reported missing in Brazil

By Maria Paz Salas

SANTIAGO, Chile

Brazilian police said Thursday it is investigating the disappearance of Greece’s ambassador, Kyriakos Amiridis, who was last seen late Monday.

A police spokesman told local media a relative of the diplomat reported his disappearance in Nova Iguacu, 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, where his wife reportedly has an apartment in the area.

Amiridis, 59, lives in the capital, Brasilia, but traveled with his wife to Rio where they planned to spend vacation until the second week of January, authorities said.

Police Commissioner Evaristo Pontes said it is improbable the ambassador was kidnapped.

“We do not work with that hypothesis. The investigation follows a few lines but we do not work with that idea. The kidnappers would have already made contact,” he said.

The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that requested the “full mobilization of all the authorities of Brazil”, but it did not give further details.

Amiridis began his career as a diplomat in 1985 in the Athens and was named ambassador to Brazil in 2016.

Prior to taking the post, he was ambassador to Libya and worked as a consul in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

Anadolu Agency correspondent Magda Panoutsopoulou contributed to this report from Athens