After the Ecuadorian police broke into the Mexican embassy in the capital city of Quito last night (Friday), in order to arrest the former vice president of Ecuador, who sought political asylum there after being indicted for corruption, Mexico announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
🆘 In Ecuador the Special Police have entered the Mexican Embassy and have just DETAINED the fugitive from justice Former Vice President Jorge Glas, the most wanted man in the country.
The capture occurs under an order for embezzlement from the National Court of Justice, just after… pic.twitter.com/Lb9gByrpFT
— Monica❤️🇨🇴 (@pelinegra0818) April 6, 2024
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador made the announcement yesterday evening (Friday), after the arrest of Jorge Glass, who has been staying at the Mexican embassy in Quito since December, a matter that has already created diplomatic tension between the two countries.
🇲🇽🇪🇨 Ecuadorian Police breaks into Mexican embassy!
Mexico has suspended diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police forcibly broke into the country’s embassy in Quito to detain former Ecuadorian vice-president Jorge Glas, deepening a diplomatic rift between the two countries.
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) April 6, 2024
Glass, the most wanted man in Ecuador, was convicted of bribery and corruption, in a complicated and international affair, which was nicknamed “Operation Car Wash”, and in which the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, was also convicted of bribery. In addition to Glass’ conviction for accepting a $13 million bribe, Ecuadorian authorities are still investigating additional charges against Glass, who was ousted as vice president in 2017.
“It’s completely against the rules”
The police broke through the outer doors of the Mexican embassy in the capital of Ecuador and entered its inner courtyard to capture Glass.
Jorge Glass, former Vice President of Ecuador. Convicted of corruption and arrested, photo: Reuters
“It’s not possible, it can’t be, it’s crazy,” Roberto Canesco, head of Mexico’s consular section in the capital Quito, told local press while standing outside the embassy. “I am very worried because they can kill him. There is no basis to do that, it is completely against the rules.”
Roberto Canesco, the head of the consular section at the Mexican Embassy confronts the police, photo: EPA
Defending its decision, Ecuador said in a statement: “Ecuador is a sovereign nation and we do not intend to allow any criminal to remain free.”
López Obrador called the arrest of Glass: “a flagrant violation of international law and of the sovereignty of Mexico.”
Security forces in front of the Mexican embassy in Quito, photo: Reuters
Alicia Bresna, Mexico’s foreign minister, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that several Mexican diplomats were injured during the hack, adding that it was a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
After what was said by the President @lopezobradorfor🇲🇽the right of asylum is sacred and we are acting in full congruence with international conventions, granting asylum to #JorgeGlas I trust that the government of Ecuador will have safe passage as soon as possible.
— Alicia Bárcena (@aliciabarcena) April 6, 2024
Bresna said that Mexico will take the matter to the International Court of Justice “to denounce Ecuador’s responsibility for violations of international law.” She also said Mexican diplomats were just waiting for the Ecuadorian government to offer the necessary guarantees for their return home.
were we wrong We will fix it! If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
