The government of Ecuador is facing a storm of international condemnation after its security services raided the Mexican embassy in the capital Quito and arrested a former vice-president of the country, who had twice been convicted on corruption charges but had just been granted asylum by Mexico.
Mexico decried the move as “an outrage against international law.” It immediately broke its diplomatic relations with Ecuador, as did Nicaragua. Most countries across Latin America have issued strongly worded criticisms of Ecuador's actions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Glas’s right to asylum had been “barbarically violated”
The United States expressed more nuanced criticism, saying in a statement issued by the state department that it “condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and urging both sides to resolve their differences "in accord with international norms".
On Friday, heavily armed Ecuadorian police entered the embassy and swiftly arrested the former vice president, Jorge Glas, who had been living in the building under the protection of Mexico since a warrant was issued for his arrest in December. Just hours before the raid he had been granted asylum by Mexico.
The Ecuadorian government denied its actions broke international law, “No criminal can be considered a politically persecuted person," the office of the president, Daniel Noboa, said. It added that Glas "has been convicted with an enforceable sentence and had an arrest warrant issued by the competent authorities".
The Organization of American States criticized the arrest, saying that it rejected " any action that violates or puts at risk the inviolability of the premises of diplomatic missions".
The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, said he was "alarmed" by the raid.
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Mexico decried the move as “an outrage against international law.” It immediately broke its diplomatic relations with Ecuador, as did Nicaragua. Most countries across Latin America have issued strongly worded criticisms of Ecuador's actions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Glas’s right to asylum had been “barbarically violated”
The United States expressed more nuanced criticism, saying in a statement issued by the state department that it “condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and urging both sides to resolve their differences "in accord with international norms".
On Friday, heavily armed Ecuadorian police entered the embassy and swiftly arrested the former vice president, Jorge Glas, who had been living in the building under the protection of Mexico since a warrant was issued for his arrest in December. Just hours before the raid he had been granted asylum by Mexico.
The Ecuadorian government denied its actions broke international law, “No criminal can be considered a politically persecuted person," the office of the president, Daniel Noboa, said. It added that Glas "has been convicted with an enforceable sentence and had an arrest warrant issued by the competent authorities".
The Organization of American States criticized the arrest, saying that it rejected " any action that violates or puts at risk the inviolability of the premises of diplomatic missions".
The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, said he was "alarmed" by the raid.
Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/
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