QUITO, Ecuador — Mexico is breaking off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president who has sought political asylum there after being indicted on corruption.
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador made the announcement Friday night after Ecuadorian police compelled their means into the Mexican embassy to arrest Jorge Glas who has been dwelling there since December, as a diplomatic rift between the 2 international locations deepened
Glas, arguably essentially the most sought after guy within the country, was once convicted on bribery and corruption fees. Ecuadorian government are nonetheless investigating extra allegations towards him.
Police broke into the exterior doorways of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters within the Ecuadorian capital and entered the principle patio to get Glas.
“This is not possible, it cannot be, this is crazy,” mentioned Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular phase within the capital, Quito, instructed native press whilst status outdoor the embassy. “I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do this, this is totally outside the norm.”
Defending its choice, Ecuador’s presidency mentioned in a remark: “Ecuador is a sovereign nation and we are not going to allow any criminal to stay free.”
López Obrador fired again calling Glas’ detention an “authoritarian act” and “a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico.”
Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s secretary of international members of the family, posted on X, previously Twitter, that numerous diplomats suffered accidents all over the break-in, including that it violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Bárcena mentioned that Mexico would take the case to the International Court of Justice “to denounce Ecuador’s responsibility for violations of international law.” She additionally mentioned Mexican diplomats have been most effective looking forward to the Ecuadorian executive to provide the vital promises for his or her go back house.
Ecuador’s international ministry and Ecuador’s ministry of the inner didn’t straight away reply to a request for remark.
The Mexican embassy in Quito remained beneath heavy police guard past due Friday.
An afternoon previous, tensions between the 2 international locations escalated after Mexico’s president made statements that Ecuador thought to be “very unfortunate” in regards to the ultimate elections during which the Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa received.
In response, the Ecuadorian executive declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata.