Mexico Breaks Diplomatic Ties With Ecuador After Police Raid On Quito Embassy
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is severing diplomatic relations with Ecuador following a police raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador's capital, where they arrested former Vice President Jorge Glas, who had sought political asylum in the embassy after being indicted on corruption charges.
AMLO announced Friday night that Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican embassy to arrest Glas. He has been hiding in the embassy since December as diplomatic relations between the two countries deteriorated.
By order of the president of Ecuador 🇪🇨, Daniel Noboa, the Ecuadorian army stormed the Mexican 🇲🇽 Embassy and arrested former socialist vice president Jorge Glas, who was about to escape to Mexico through a safe conduct granted by López Obrador.
— BowTiedMara (@BowTiedMara) April 6, 2024
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"This is not possible. It cannot be. This is crazy," Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular section in Quito, told local press, as quoted by AP News.
Canseco continued, "I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do this. This is totally outside the norm."
Glas, one of the most wanted men in the South American country, was recently convicted of bribery and corruption.
AMLO called Glas' arrest an "authoritarian act" and "a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico."
Hours before the raid, Mexico granted Glas political asylum - something the Ecuadorian government viewed as illegal.
Ecuador's Presidency wrote in a statement, "Ecuador is a sovereign nation, and we are not going to allow any criminal to stay free."
On social media platform X, Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, said her team will take Glas' detainment to the International Court of Justice "to denounce Ecuador's responsibility for violations of international law."
