Mexico will denounce Ecuador before the International Court of Justice for violations of International Law
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Alicia Bárcena, announced this Saturday the breaking of diplomatic relations with Ecuador after the arrest of former Mexican vice president Jorge Glas Espinel, whom Mexico had welcomed in its embassy, providing him with diplomatic asylum despite the reluctance of the authorities. from Ecuador.
“In consultations with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the face of the flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the injuries suffered by Mexican diplomatic personnel in Ecuador, Mexico announces the immediate breaking of diplomatic relations with Ecuador,” Bárcena announced in a publication on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
Thus, “Mexico’s diplomatic personnel in Ecuador will leave that country immediately,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs added, calling on the Ecuadorian authorities to offer “the necessary guarantees for the abandonment of Mexican personnel.”
Furthermore, Mexico has announced that it will denounce Ecuador before the International Court of Justice “for violations of International Law.”
This decision comes, as López Obrador explained after speaking with Bárcena, after “police from Ecuador forcibly entered” his embassy and “detained the former vice president of that country, who was a refugee and processing asylum due to persecution.” and the harassment he faces.”
“This is a flagrant violation of International Law and the sovereignty of Mexico, which is why I have instructed our chancellor to issue a statement about this authoritarian act, proceed legally and immediately declare the suspension of diplomatic relations with the government.” of Ecuador,” added the Mexican president.
This Friday, the Government of Ecuador declared that the asylum granted to Jorge Glas Espinel by Mexico constituted in its opinion an “illegal” act and requested that the former vice president be handed over to be placed at the disposal of the Ecuadorian Justice.
López Obrador had previously confirmed that, finally, the Mexican authorities would provide political asylum to Glas, accused of corruption and housed for weeks in the Mexican Embassy in Quito.
“What they were looking for is for us to accept that they enter the Embassy or for us to hand over the vice president to them. We cannot do that, that is a question of principles. Mexico’s foreign policy is characterized by protecting politically persecuted people,” he stated. Lopez Obrador.
Glas had remained at the Mexican diplomatic headquarters since mid-December, where he entered citing fear for his personal safety and freedom. The Embassy welcomed him as a guest and his lawyers already reported weeks ago that they had submitted a formal request for political asylum.
This maneuver by the former vice president occurred after the National Police ordered his arrest to give a statement to the Prosecutor’s Office in the case of possible embezzlement of public funds in the reconstruction of the province of Manabí after the 2016 earthquake, which left more than 670 dead. .
