Ecuador stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito on April 5 to prevent the escape of the former vice president of the Andean country Jorge Glas. It was an extraordinary event, given that he was accused of two counts of corruption, he had received political asylum from the Government of Andrés Manuel López, and was awaiting safe passage to leave. This is, in essence, the line of argument maintained this Wednesday by the Ecuadorian representatives before the United Nations International Court of Justice (ITJ) to justify the forced entry into a foreign legation that, according to international treaties, is inviolable. Both countries have broken off their relations, and the judges of this court must decide whether to dictate the precautionary measures requested by Mexico to protect the assets and archives of the diplomatic mission.
In their turn to make allegations before the TIJ, the Ecuadorian representatives have repeated two things: that Mexico can easily take whatever it wants from its embassy, and that the circumstances that led to the arrest of Jorge Glas “no longer exist.” “There is, therefore, no case that should be taken into account by the court,” said Andrés Terán Parral, Ecuador’s ambassador to the Netherlands, headquarters of the TIJ.
Former Vice President Glas was taken from the Mexican embassy in the course of a police operation that Mexico describes as a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention. It is an agreement that regulates diplomatic relations and establishes the immunity of its legations and personnel. For the Executive of the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, however, “Mexico welcomed a criminal who had been convicted twice and had pending cases with the justice system for corruption,” in the words of Terán Parral himself. “Mexico did not cooperate despite repeated attempts at dialogue and the abuse of asylum, obstruction of the Ecuadorian judicial system and interference in the country’s internal affairs had to be prevented,” he assured.
To focus the case, jurist Alfredo Crosato explained that at the time of the raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, “Glas had accumulated two final convictions and had two other cases pending, for corruption and intimidation.” On the streets since 2022 for health reasons, “the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court concluded in February 2024 that he should return to prison, but he went into the Mexican embassy,” he recalled. According to his statement, Glas’s entire judicial career “with his trials and convictions has been legal and has taken place while four different governments were in power.” “Mexico did not talk about persecution during that time,” he indicated. On the contrary, his embassy described the politician “as a guest and remained silent when Ecuador asked for dialogue and to enter the diplomatic headquarters.” On April 4, Quito declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata. The next day, Mexico granted Glas political asylum. “The police come in to prevent him from evading justice,” Crosato stressed.
On April 6, Mexico protested what happened and closed the embassy, alleging Ecuador’s violation of the Vienna Convention. Nothing could be further from the truth, for Ambassador Terán Parral: “Ecuador will fight against corruption and impunity, it is determined to resolve conflicts peacefully and this case has no legal basis,” he told the judges.
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