Ecuador has filed a complaint at the International Court of Justice in response to Mexico granting political asylum to former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas, who was wanted on corruption convictions. The complaint alleges that Mexico unlawfully granted asylum to Glas, as he was a fugitive from justice and not eligible for diplomatic protection. This led to Ecuadorian authorities raiding the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Glas, which violated international laws protecting diplomatic premises. Mexico retaliated by breaking diplomatic relations with Ecuador, recalling its staff, and closing its embassy and consulates.
Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry stated that Mexico failed to comply with its obligations to not grant asylum to individuals facing prosecution or conviction for common crimes by competent courts. Glas, who had been living at the Mexican embassy since December, was convicted in two corruption cases and is now being held in a maximum security prison in Guayaquil. The court accused Mexico of interfering in Ecuador’s internal affairs by granting Glas political asylum and unlawfully protecting him from justice. Diplomatic premises are considered inviolable under the Vienna treaties, and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without permission from the ambassador.
The security camera video released by Mexico’s government showed Ecuadorian police scaling the embassy walls and forcing their way into the building to arrest Glas. Roberto Canseco, Mexico’s head of consular affairs in Ecuador, attempted to block their entry but was restrained and pushed to the floor by the police. Following the raid, Latin American leaders, legal experts, and diplomats condemned Ecuador’s actions, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordering the closure of his country’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador in solidarity with Mexico. Mexico’s response included filing a complaint with the International Court of Justice, asking for protection of its diplomatic premises and reparation for the intrusion.
Mexico’s complaint to the court requested immediate steps to ensure the full protection and security of its diplomatic premises in Ecuador and prevent further intrusions. It also asked for the return of its diplomatic premises and the homes of its diplomats in the country. Additionally, Mexico called for reparations and the suspension of Ecuador from the United Nations in response to the violation of international law regarding diplomatic immunity. Hearings on Mexico’s case at the International Court of Justice are scheduled to begin shortly, further intensifying the diplomatic quarrel between the two countries over the asylum granted to Jorge Glas and the subsequent raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito.
