map_XXXX Cannot access to the 'loadPlugin' method

This error is shown in the chrome console when inspecting the app and the google maps is initialized. When trying to create a marker, the application crash and the following error is shown:

11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method ‘com.google.android.gms.maps.model.Marker com.google.android.gms.maps.Google
Map.addMarker(com.google.android.gms.maps.model.MarkerOptions)’ on a null object reference
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at plugin.google.maps.PluginMarker$4.run(PluginMarker.java:299)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:938)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:223)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7656)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:592)
11-20 12:38:56.704 24584 24584 E AndroidRuntime: at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:947)

any hints?

Further investigation… this only works when I create the app using:
ionic cordova build android --prod --release

Every time I run the app using:
ionic cordova run android

The app crash with behaviour described above

For those who arrive here with the white screen problem or the markers problem, the solutions is to install this version: