Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the closure of the country’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador in solidarity with Mexico after Ecuadorian authorities raided the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas. The move was to show support for Mexico’s protest and request to have Ecuador temporarily expelled from the United Nations. The raid on the Mexican embassy drew immediate condemnation from around the world as diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and protected under the Vienna treaties. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa defended the raid, stating it was to protect national security and that Glas was wanted for criminal convictions for corruption.
Mexico expressed outrage over the raid, severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador, and called back its diplomatic mission. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called for Ecuador’s temporary expulsion from the United Nations until it apologizes for violating Mexico’s sovereignty in the embassy raid. Maduro supported Mexico’s proposal and ordered all Venezuelan diplomatic personnel back to Venezuela until international law is restored in Ecuador. Maduro also called for Glas to be returned to the Mexican embassy and have his political asylum recognized.
Noboa faced criticism for not attending a virtual meeting of regional leaders to address the situation. Instead, he posted Instagram videos on law enforcement infrastructure improvements and an emergency declaration for the electricity sector amid power outages in Quito. Maduro criticized Noboa for not taking responsibility and accused him of hiding from the situation. Mexico’s embassy in Quito appeared closed, and Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to Venezuela’s announcement. Ecuador has a significant population of Venezuelan migrants, with estimates of over 475,000 Venezuelans living there, according to Ecuador’s 2023 census.
Under Maduro’s presidency, millions of Venezuelans have left the country, settling in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Ecuador is home to the sixth largest concentration of Venezuelan migrants, with more than 231,000 living there permanently and legally. The closure of Venezuela’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador was seen as a symbolic gesture of support for Mexico and a call for international law to be respected in the handling of diplomatic incidents. The situation between Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela highlighted the complexities of diplomatic relations and the importance of upholding the sanctity of diplomatic premises under international treaties.
