Ecuador Faces Backlash After Storming Mexican Embassy To Arrest VP

• Former VP Jorge Glas arrested in Mexican embassy in Quito.

• Mexican President suspends diplomatic ties with Ecuador over the incident.

• Latin American leaders condemn the arrest as a violation of international law.

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Reuters

Ecuador is currently embroiled in a diplomatic crisis following the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas. The controversial figure, who had been seeking asylum in the embassy, was apprehended late Friday night, prompting Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to suspend diplomatic ties with Quito.

The arrest of Glas has been condemned by leaders across Latin America, with many denouncing it as a violation of international law and diplomatic norms. The incident has sparked outrage in the region, with countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Nicaragua joining Mexico in severing diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

Glas, who served under former President Rafael Correa, has been accused by Ecuadorian authorities of embezzling government funds. He has since been transferred to a maximum-security prison in Guayaquil.

The raid on the Mexican embassy has raised concerns about the inviolability of diplomatic premises and the right to asylum. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed alarm over the incident, reaffirming the importance of respecting diplomatic conventions.

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld defended the raid, citing a perceived risk of Glas escaping. She accused Mexico of violating the principle of non-intervention by harboring Glas in the embassy.

The breach of diplomatic convention between Mexico and Ecuador has underscored the complexities of international relations and the challenges of balancing sovereignty and asylum rights.