Mexico has severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador following a controversial incident where Ecuadorian police forcibly entered the Mexican embassy in Quito to apprehend former Ecuadorian vice-president Jorge Glas. Glas, who had sought asylum in the embassy, citing persecution by Ecuador’s attorney general’s office due to corruption charges, was arrested by the police inside the embassy premises. This move has deepened the diplomatic divide between the two nations.
In response to the incident, Ecuador’s presidency asserted its sovereignty and determination not to allow criminals to evade justice. However, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned Glas’s detention as an authoritarian act and a violation of international law, instructing the suspension of diplomatic ties with Ecuador.
Mexico’s secretary of foreign relations, Alicia Bárcena, criticized the violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations during Glas’s arrest, mentioning that several diplomats sustained injuries during the altercation. Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular section in Quito, expressed concern for Glas’s safety and condemned the extraordinary nature of the situation.
The tension between the two countries had escalated earlier when López Obrador made statements regarding Ecuador’s recent elections, which the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, considered unfavorable. In response, Ecuador expelled the Mexican ambassador from the country.
As the diplomatic rift continues to unfold, the Mexican embassy in Quito remains under heavy police surveillance, reflecting the heightened tensions between the two nations.
Following the diplomatic fallout, Ecuador’s foreign ministry and ministry of the interior refrained from immediate comment on the incident when approached by the Associated Press news agency. Meanwhile, the Mexican embassy in Quito remained under tight police security as the situation unfolded.
Prior to the embassy incident, tensions between Mexico and Ecuador had already risen due to statements made by President López Obrador regarding Ecuador’s recent elections, which were viewed unfavorably by the Ecuadorian government. In response, Ecuador took the drastic step of declaring the Mexican ambassador persona non grata, further exacerbating the strained relations between the two nations.
The events surrounding the arrest of former vice-president Glas within the Mexican embassy have not only heightened diplomatic tensions but have also raised concerns about adherence to international norms and diplomatic conventions. As both countries navigate this diplomatic crisis, the future of their relations remains uncertain, with potential repercussions on bilateral cooperation and international diplomacy.
