Diplomatic Crisis Between Mexico and Ecuador

Diplomatic relations have been cut off between Mexico and Ecuador after police stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito, where former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas has taken refuge.

Glas, the vice president of Ecuador from 2013 to 2017, was received by Quito’s Mexican embassy last December; there he took refuge after a warrant was issued for his arrest for alleged corruption offenses. When asked by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to return him to local authorities, Mexico responded that it gave political asylum to Glas.

“After consultations with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in the face of the flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the wounds suffered by Mexican diplomatic personnel in Ecuador, Mexico announces the immediate termination of diplomatic relations with Ecuador, Mexico’s diplomatic personnel in Ecuador will leave the country immediately,” Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena said via X social network, also announcing that Mexico will present to the Hague International Court the documentation on the violation of international law by Ecuador.

Relations between Mexico and Ecuador were already at a minimum level, and on the day before the invasion, Mexican Ambassador Raquel Serur was declared an “undesirable person” (persona non grata) after Mexican President Obrador spoke out about the recent elections in Ecuador, especially following the assassination of candidate Fernando Villavicencio and the relative consequences in the elections won by Daniel Noboa. “In the Ecuadorian election, the progressive candidate (Luisa Gonzalez – ed.) had a 10-point advantage,” Obrador said, “when a candidate critical of her was suddenly assassinated.”