Brazil and others sharply criticised arrest of Ecuador’s former vice president who was seeking refuge in the embassy facing corruption charges
Governments across Latin America – including regional heavyweight Brazil – expressed support for Mexico after its embassy in Ecuador was raided by police in search of a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexican authorities.
The late Friday night arrest of Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s former vice-president who was detained on graft charges, triggered a suspension of relations with Quito by Mexico City, with the government of Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, blasting the unusual diplomatic incursion and arrest as an “authoritarian” act, as well as a breach of international law and Mexico’s sovereignty.
The government of Ecuador’s president Daniel Noboa had argued asylum protections were illegal because of the corruption charges Glas is facing.
Under international law, embassies are considered the sovereign territory of the country they represent.
On Saturday, governments across the political spectrum in Latin America – including Brazil and Colombia on the left, and Argentina and Uruguay on the right – sharply criticised the arrest of Glas, who had sought refuge in the embassy since December.
Brazil’s government condemned Ecuador’s move as a “clear violation” of international norms prohibiting such a raid on a foreign embassy.
