Mexico has suspended diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police forcibly broke into the country's embassy in Quito to detain former Ecuadorian vice-president, Jorge Glas. The latest incident deepens a diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Quito

Ecuadorian authorities have forcefully entered the Mexican embassy in Quito, leading to the arrest of former Vice-President Jorge Glas. This action has resulted in Mexico suspending diplomatic relations with Ecuador, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations. The incident has further deepened the diplomatic rift that exists between Ecuador and Mexico.



Ecuador police break into Mexican embassy, arrest former VP

An unexpected international dispute is unfolding in Quito. Late on Friday, Ecuadorian police forcefully entered the Mexican embassy to arrest Ecuador's former vice president, who's been seeking asylum there since December. Jorge Glass took refuge at the embassy after Ecuador issued an arrest warrant for alleged corruption, charges he denies. Ecuador's president, Andres Manuel López Obrador, called the raid a flagrant violation of international law. Earlier on Friday, Mexico said it had granted Glass political asylum. How is it that criminals raided the Mexican embassy at Ecuador? This is not possible. It just can't be. It's madness. I think, yes, they took away the vice president. I'm very worried because he can be killed. There's no basis to do this. It's outside every norm. Mexico says it's cutting ties with Ecuador after the incident, in which several diplomats were reportedly injured, a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. A country is allowed to give asylum to whoever they want. That being said, whatever grievances the Ecuadorian government might have had against the Mexican government for granting this asylum to Mr. Glass, there is no justification under current international law for breaching into an embassy. Glass served as Ecuador's vice president between 2013 and 2017. Last year, he was jailed over allegations that he took millions in bribes during his term. Another arrest warrant with further allegation of corruption followed his release in November. Glass and his supporters say it's a political witch hunt. Now, the background of this whole conflict is Mr. Glass is ideologically aligned with López Obrador. So, there is an ideological synergy, there's an ideological alliance going on there. And so, even though Glass has been convicted under Ecuadorian law and has many criminal trial spending, he used this political connection to get asylum into the Mexican embassy. And that, for a lot of Ecuadorians, felt like a slap in the face. It felt like a mockery of justice. In a statement, Ecuador's President Daniel Novoa said his country is a sovereign nation and will not allow any criminal to stay free. The diplomatic rift between the two countries is only deepening. Novoa says it will bring this case before an international tribunal. Rahul Radhakrishnan, TRT World.

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