Topline
The Mexican government announced it’s severing diplomatic ties with Ecuador after Ecuadorian officials raided the Mexican embassy in the Ecuadorian capital Quito to arrest Ecuador’s former vice president, Jorge Glas—who’d been staying at the embassy seeking political asylum while facing corruption charges in Ecuador.
Key Facts
Mexican officials announced the suspension of diplomatic relations with Ecuador shortly after the Friday night raid, which Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called a “flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico.”
On Saturday morning, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena said the country’s diplomatic personnel would be leaving Ecuador “immediately,” and called on Ecuador “to provide the necessary guarantees for the departure of the Mexican personnel”—she accused Ecuador of “violations of international law” and said Mexico intends to appeal to the International Court of Justice.
Mexico also condemned “acts of violence” against the embassy’s deputy chief of mission Roberto Canseco Martinez, who was seen in social media video being shoved by Ecuadorian officials as he attempted to chase after vehicles leaving the embassy.
Glas had been seeking asylum in the Mexican embassy since December after Ecuador accused him of corruption—Glas has denied the charges, claiming he’s being persecuted for political reasons, and on Saturday, LópezObrador claimed Glas was seeking asylum “due to the persecution and harassment he faces.”
In its own statement, Ecuador’s government said, according to a translation, “no criminal can be considered politically persecuted” and that Glas had been given diplomatic asylum outside “the conventional legal framework.”
Who Is Jorge Glas?
Glas was vice president of Ecuador between 2013 and 2017 and previously served six years in prison on bribery charges involving a Brazilian construction firm. Since being released in 2022, he has faced new corruption charges and was ordered back to jail in Ecuador in December 2023, according to Sky News.
Crucial Quote
“Ecuador is a sovereign country and we are not going to allow any criminal to go unpunished,” Ecuador said in its statement.
Chief Critics
“I am very worried that they might kill him,” an infuriated Canseco told local press in an interview captured on video. “This is totally outside the norm.” Influential voices across the region began to weigh in on the incident, largely condemning Ecuador’s actions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro on X, formerly known as Twitter, offered his solidarity to Mexico’s diplomatic staff and insisted Latin American countries “must keep alive the precepts of international law.” Venezuela also condemned the actions, accusing Ecuador of “illegally” raiding the embassy.
Key Background
Friday’s incident occurs amid another spat between the two countries, as leftist Mexican President López Obrador suggested earlier this week that Ecuador’s new conservative president Daniel Noboa benefited from the assassination of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The Ecuadorian government called López Obrador’s comments “unfortunate” and declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata, ordering that she leave the country. Mexico has tested the patience of other countries by granting political asylum to political leaders facing corruption accusations, including former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo and former Bolivian President Evo Morales.