MEXICO CITY, April 6. /TASS/. Ecuadorian police arrested former Vice President Jorge Glas, who sought asylum in Mexico, after storming the country's embassy in Quito. Mexican diplomats were injured and the countries severed relations.
The incident happened amid worsening tensions between Mexico City and Quito, prompting the expulsion of the Mexican ambassador.
What caused the conflict
- On August 9, 2023, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed during a pre-election meeting in the capital of Ecuador, Quito. The detained criminals were subsequently killed during a prison riot.
- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recalled this incident at a press conference on April 3 and said that on the eve of elections in Ecuador last year, a candidate who had spoken poorly of his leading competitor was suddenly killed. Two days later, the Mexican leader repeated his remarks.
- Ecuador declared Mexican Ambassador Raquel Serur Smeke persona non grata. Mexico City said it would not do the same.
Refuge
- Against this background, Lopez Obrador announced plans to provide asylum to Glas, who applied to the embassy, then the Mexican Foreign Ministry officially announced this decision.
- Glas is accused of corruption - he was in prison from 2017 to 2022, and requested asylum in Mexico in December 2023. Since then, he has stayed in the Mexican embassy, and Mexico City has refused to allow Ecuadorian police to arrest the politician.
- Quito demanded extradition of the former vice president, accusing Mexico of helping Glas evade justice.
Storming the embassy
- The Ecuadorian police forcibly entered the Mexican embassy, where they arrested Glas. The police entered the territory of the diplomatic mission in armored vehicles, while several people climbed over the fence.
- Glas was put in one of the vehicles and taken away in an unknown direction, Roberto Canseco, Charge d'Affaires of Mexico in Quito, said. The Ecuadorian authorities confirmed the arrest and announced that Glas was being transferred to the competent authorities.
- Mexico's Foreign Ministry said several diplomats were injured during the assault and described the incident as "a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
- The President of Mexico announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
- At the same time, the Ecuadorian authorities declared the country's right to protect national sovereignty and the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of the country.