Ecuador police stormed Mexico’s embassy in Quito to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas, who had been convicted twice of corruption. Glas had been staying in the Mexican embassy since December, claiming he was being persecuted by Ecuadorian officials. Mexico had offered him political asylum and called on Ecuador to grant him safe passage out of the country. However, Ecuadorian special forces forcefully entered the embassy on Friday night and arrested Glas, which led to Mexico suspending diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador condemned the storming of the embassy and arrest of Glas as an authoritarian act and a flagrant violation of international law and Mexico’s sovereignty. Many Ecuadorians found it troubling that an ally of the Mexican president was being granted asylum, leading to accusations of a mockery of justice. Lawyer and political commentator Adrian Perez Salazar pointed out that although there may have been grievances, the forceful breach of an embassy is not justified under international law.
In response to the incident, Mexico’s foreign minister Alicia Barcena stated that a number of diplomats were injured during the raid, violating the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. Mexican diplomatic personnel will be leaving Ecuador immediately, and Mexico plans to take the case to the International Court of Justice to hold Ecuador accountable for the violations of international law. Salazar emphasized that embassies are not to be touched, regardless of any justifications the Ecuadorian government may have.
The situation escalated after Lopez Obrador made comments about Ecuador’s elections and the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. He compared the violence in Ecuador to recent violence in Mexico during the election cycle and made controversial remarks about media owners and their role in creating an atmosphere of violence. Ecuador’s government responded by declaring the Mexican ambassador persona non grata and directing her to leave the country soon.
Ecuador has been facing challenges with a new wave of violence, including prison riots, criminal leaders escaping custody, and incidents of masked gunmen taking hostages during live television broadcasts. The tensions between Mexico and Ecuador following the incident at the embassy have raised concerns about the respect for diplomatic relations and international law. The situation highlights the need for countries to adhere to established protocols and agreements when dealing with diplomatic matters to avoid further escalations and maintain peace and stability in the region.
