Ecuador criticised after Mexican embassy raid

‘Flagrant violation of international law’

Ecuador faced criticism from the UN and across Latin America on Saturday after its security forces stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest graft-accused former vicepresident Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum there.

Special forces equipped with a battering ram surrounded the embassy, and at least one agent scaled the walls, in an almost unheardof raid on diplomatic premises that are considered inviolable sovereign territory.

The incident on Friday night prompted Mexico to sever diplomatic ties with Ecuador.

“This is a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico,” said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Nicaragua followed suit, citing the “unusual and reprehensible action” of the embassy raid.

Searing rebukes poured in from regional governments, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Peru and Venezuela.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “alarmed” by the raid, and urged both sides to show moderation in resolving the dispute, his spokesman said.

Lopez Obrador said authorities “forcibly entered” the building to arrest Glas, who is wanted on corruption charges and had been at the embassy since December before being granted asylum on Friday.

He said he would file a complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice.

President Daniel Noboa “broke all the behavioural blueprints of traditional diplomacy,” said Roberto Beltran Zambrano, a professor of conflict management at Ecuador’s Private Technical University.

Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Gabriela

Sommerfeld on Saturday accused Mexico of meddling in Quito’s “internal affairs” by offering asylum and said the raid was justified because of the “real risk” that Glas would escape justice.

The Vienna Convention, a treaty governing international relations, states that a country cannot intrude upon an embassy.

The United States said it condemned any violation of the Vienna Convention and urged Mexico and Ecuador to “resolve differences in accord with international norms”.

On Saturday, the embassy remained surrounded by police and the Mexican flag had been taken down.

Mexico denounced “physical violence” against head of mission Roberto Canseco, who was pushed to the ground by officers while trying to prevent the raid.

Its Foreign Ministry said diplomatic personnel and their families would leave Ecuador on a commercial flight yesterday.