During the weekend, Latin American nations, with the influential Brazil taking the lead, rallied their support to Mexico following a raid on its Ecuadorian embassy where a contentious political figure under asylum was detained. Jorge Glas, the ex-Vice President of Ecuador, who is facing graft charges was apprehended on late Friday evening, which prompted Mexico to halt its relations with Quito. The interruption was instigated by the Mexican government, led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who slammed the extraordinary diplomatic incursion and arrest as an authoritarian act defying both international norms and Mexico’s sovereignty.
President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador claimed that the decision to grant asylum to Mr. Glas was unlawful due to the corruption charges against him. Despite this, as per international regulations, embassies remain the sovereign domain of the nations they represent.
On Saturday, Latin American governments from various political inclinations – Brazil and Colombia from the left, Argentina and Uruguay from the right, openly criticised Glas’ arrest; he had been seeking refuge at the embassy since last December. Social media footage showed Glas being surrounded by military personnel as he was driven to Quito’s airport. According to pictures on social media, including one from Cuba’s foreign minister, the embassy’s wall was reportedly scaled by armed forces. However, Reuters could not immediately verify these photos.
The Brazilian government denounced the Ecuadorian government’s action as a severe violation of international norms that prevent foreign embassy raids. The Brazilian foreign ministry emphasised its unity with Mexico, stating that any offence against the embassy should be vehemently condemmed irrespective of the reasons behind it.
Mexico’s chief diplomat, Alicia Barcena, voiced her shock at the intrusion into their embassy in an interview with local broadcaster Milenio on Saturday morning, adding that several embassy staff were wounded during the raid. She further noted that Glas’ asylum was predicated on a thorough scrutiny of the context in which the allegations were made. In response to these serious infringements of international regulations, the Mexican foreign ministry plans to lodge a formal complaint with the UN’s International Court of Justice.
The Organisation of American States, which is based in Washington, has requested a dialogue to be initiated in order to resolve the intensifying conflict between Ecuador and Mexico. They detailed in a statement that a meeting of the permanent council will be arranged to discuss the necessity for strict adherence to international agreements, which include those safeguarding the asylum rights. This call was made on Saturday.
In a separate development, the Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, expressed on platform X that it is imperative for Latin America to uphold the principles of international law amidst the growing global chaos.
An additional statement revealed that Petro’s administration will strive to procure legal protections pertaining to human rights for Mr Glas, who is presently under detention. Glas, convicted on two counts of corruption, has been sheltered in the embassy in Quito since he appealed for political asylum in December. His request was approved by Mexico last Friday.
Ecuadorian officials have made failed attempts to gain permission from Mexico to enter the embassy premises and apprehend Glas. In 2017, Glas, erstwhile deputy to ex-president Rafael Correa, was sentenced to a six-year imprisonment after being found guilty of accepting bribes from the Brazilian construction company, Odebrecht. This was in exchange for bestowing it with government contracts.
Recently, facing a new arrest warrant on distinct corruption charges, Glas asserts that he is being politically targeted. However, this claim has been rejected by the government of Ecuador. – Reuters
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