Mexico has announced its decision to break off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after Ecuadorian police forced their way into the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas. The incident has escalated tensions between the two Latin American countries, with Mexico denouncing the raid as "an outrage against international law."
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico made the announcement on Friday evening, following the police action that saw officers break into the external doors of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters and enter the main patio to apprehend Glas. The former vice president, who has been convicted on bribery and corruption charges and is still under investigation for further allegations, had been residing in the embassy since December while seeking political asylum.
"This is not possible, it cannot be, this is crazy," Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular section in Quito, told local press while standing outside the embassy. "I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do this, this is totally outside the norm."
Ecuador's presidency defended the decision to arrest Glas, stating in a statement, "Ecuador is a sovereign nation and we are not going to allow any criminal to stay free." However, López Obrador fired back, calling Glas' detention an "authoritarian act" and "a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico."
Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Relations, took to X (formerly Twitter) to report that several diplomats suffered injuries during the break-in, emphasizing that the action violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. She announced Mexico's intention to take the case to the International Court of Justice "to denounce Ecuador's responsibility for violations of international law" and stated that Mexican diplomats were only waiting for the Ecuadorian government to offer the necessary guarantees for their return home.
The Mexican embassy in Quito remained under heavy police guard late Friday, and a spokesperson for Mexico's foreign ministry confirmed to CNNE that all Mexican diplomatic staff would be leaving Ecuador immediately.
Tensions between the two countries had been escalating in the days leading up to the embassy raid, with Mexico's president making statements that Ecuador considered "very unfortunate" regarding the recent Ecuadorian presidential election, which saw Daniel Noboa emerge victorious. In response, the Ecuadorian government declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata.
Canseco, speaking to a CNNE reporter, described the police action as "barbarism" and "totally unacceptable," stating, "It is impossible for them to violate the diplomatic premises as they have done."
Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena, noted that there had been no prior contact with Ecuador's foreign ministry about the arrest and that Canseco was physically attacked during the operation.
The incident has sparked a major diplomatic crisis between Mexico and Ecuador, with Mexico vowing to take legal action against Ecuador for violating international law and diplomatic norms. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community will be closely watching to see how this breach of diplomatic protocol is addressed and whether the two countries can find a way to resolve their differences.
