George Glass

Quito. In tacit recognition that Ecuador violated the Vienna Convention on diplomatic and consular relations, the chancellor of this country, Gabriela Sommerfeld, stated that it was Daniel Noboa himself who ordered entry into the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas. .

Furthermore, in an interview on a local channel, he acknowledged that his government is aware of the consequences of this incursion that violates international agreements. When asked why she did not stop him outside the embassy, ​​in the vehicle that could take Glas to the airport, she stated: Violates the same articlein reference to article 22 of the Vienna Convention, which states: “The agents of the receiving State may not enter them (diplomatic headquarters)… and other property, as well as the means of transport of the mission.”

Later, three days after the assault, Noboa broke the silence. After reiterating that the country is going through a complex and unprecedented situation, I have made exceptional decisions to protect national security, the rule of law and the dignity of a peoplehe indicated in a statement addressed to citizens and the international community, which he published on his X account.

Then he justified the action against Mexican sovereignty, by highlighting that We could not allow sentenced criminals involved in very serious crimes to be asylumd, violating Article Ill of the Caracas Agreement, Article I of the Montevideo Convention, and Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, or run the imminent risk. of their escape, as has happened to us before, and they mock the Ecuadorian people again.

Noboa put forward that we are risking the country. He said that the criticism against him They come out once they see that the vast majority of Ecuadorians will vote for national dignity in the popular consultation on April 21.

He finished with a message that left more confusion, stating that he is willing to resolve any difference, with one condition: Justice is not negotiated, and we will never protect criminals who have harmed Mexicans.

Without mentioning Glas, he said that every criminal serve his sentence in prison, whatever the cost.

More militarization

All of these statements were given in the context of a new presidential decree issued this Sunday night, in which Noboa recognizes the persistence of an internal armed conflict. And he does it after the state of emergency, decreed last January, came to an end, since the Ecuadorian Constitution prevents the use of this legal tool indefinitely.

It is warned that there are still organized armed groups that maintain hostilities in the country, according to reports from the Strategic Intelligence Center, an entity that will carry out periodically an individualized update of these.

In that sense, it ordered that the armed forces carry out military operations to prevent and eradicate the activity of organized armed groups in the national territory.

Also, together with the police, they continue with the operational and tactical deployment required to neutralize armed attacks, threats or risks orchestrated by organized crime, organized armed groups or terrorists.

In addition, the coordination necessary to establish multi-year budget programming regarding internal security, strategic intelligence and counterintelligence systems, among others.

Likewise, Noboa declared prisons as security zones, as he already did on March 7, when he extended the state of emergency for 30 days, which began in January.

With this, the curfew and other measures such as the restriction of mobility and the incursion of public forces into homes, without the need for a court order, have been suspended since yesterday.

In practice, police and military will continue to act in the fight against criminal groups, a decision that is not supported by the Constitution and that is why Noboa proposed this option for the popular consultation on April 21, in order for the citizens endorse this attribution.

Legal analysts said yesterday that the unconstitutionality of the decree could be sued, but since there are only a few days left for the consultation, one could wait for the results and then proceed in favor or against the lawsuit.

So far, according to a statement from the armed forces, issued on April 8, 272 thousand operations have been carried out nationwide, “seizing a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives… more than 77 thousand kilos of classified substances subject to inspection and 140 thousand gallons of fuel.”

However, since the declaration of internal armed conflict Statistics show an increase in violent murders, kidnappings and extortions. Of course, it has been possible to have control over the prisons, which were the focus of greatest global attention throughout 2023, due to the series of riots and massacres.