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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 8 april 2024

International leaders condemn Ecuador after police break into the

Mexican Embassy in Quito

By REGINA GARCIA CANO authorization to “neutral-
and GABRIELA MOLINA ize” within the bounds of
Associated Press international humanitarian
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — law.
The global condemnation Will Freeman, a fellow of
of Ecuador’s government Latin American studies at
for its decision to break the Council on Foreign Re-
into the Mexican Embassy lations, said the decision
snowballed Sunday with to send police to Mexico’s
more presidents and other embassy raises concerns
leaders expressing disap- over the steps Noboa is will-
proval, shock and dismay. ing to take to get reelect-
The criticism came as Mexi- ed. His tenure ends in 2025
co’s ambassador and other as he was only elected to
personnel arrived in Mexico finish the term of former
City on Sunday afternoon President Guillermo Lasso.
after departing Ecuador’s “I really hope Noboa is not
capital, Quito, on a com- turning more in a Bukele di-
mercial flight. President An- rection,” Freeman said, re-
drés Manuel López Obra- ferring to El Salvador Presi-
dor severed diplomatic ties dent Nayib Bukele, whose
with Ecuador immediately tough-on-crime policies
after Friday’s raid, which have been heavily criti-
international law experts, cized by human rights or-
presidents and diplomats ganizations. “That’s to say,
have deemed a violation less respectful of rule of law
of long-established interna- Police break into the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, April 5, 2024. in order to get a boost to
tional accords. Associated Press his popularity ahead of the
Police broke through the elections.”
external doors of the Mexi- ligation of host countries Bárcena said Mexico would Authorities are investigat- Freeman added that
can Embassy in Quito to under international law to take the case to the Inter- ing Glas over alleged ir- whether Glas was abusing
arrest Jorge Glas, who had respect the inviolability of national Court of Justice regularities during his man- diplomatic protection is a
been residing there since diplomatic missions.” He “to denounce Ecuador’s agement of reconstruction “separate issue” from the
December. He had sought called on both countries to responsibility for violations efforts following a powerful decision to send police to
asylum after being indicted resolve their difference. of international law.” She earthquake in 2016 that the embassy.
on corruption charges. Honduran President Xio- also recalled Mexican dip- killed hundreds of people. “We see a pattern of that
Mexico plans to challenge mara Castro, writing on X, lomats. He was convicted on brib- in Latin America with poli-
the raid at the World Court characterized the raid as GLAS IS TAKEN TO PRISON ery and corruption charges ticians abusing embassies
in The Hague. “an intolerable act for the On Saturday, Glas was in other cases. and foreign jurisdictions,
The Spanish foreign ministry international community” taken from the attorney Ecuador’s Foreign Minis- not to flee prosecution but
in a statement Sunday said, and a “violation of the sov- general’s office in Quito ter Gabriela Sommerfeld to flee accountability,” he
“The entry by force into the ereignty of the Mexican to the port city of Guaya- on Saturday told reporters said.
Embassy of Mexico in Quito State and international quil, where he will remain that the decision to enter The Mexican Embassy in
constitutes a violation of the law” because “it ignores in custody at a maximum- the embassy was made Quito remained under
1961 Vienna Convention the historical and funda- security prison. People who by President Daniel Noboa heavy police guard after
on Diplomatic Relations. mental right to asylum.” had gathered outside the after considering Glas’ “im- the raid — the boiling point
We call for respect for inter- Diplomatic premises are prosecutor’s office yelled minent flight risk” and ex- of recent tensions between
national law and harmony considered foreign soil and “strength” as he left with a hausting all possibilities for Mexico and Ecuador.
between Mexico and Ec- “inviolable” under the Vien- convoy of police and mili- diplomatic dialogue with Vera, Glas’ attorney, said
uador, brotherly countries na treaties and host coun- tary vehicles. Mexico. she fears “something could
to Spain and members of try law enforcement agen- Glas’ attorney, Sonia Vera, Mexico granted Glas asy- happen” to him while in
the Ibero-American com- cies are not allowed to en- told The Associated Press lum hours before the raid. custody considering the
munity.” ter without the permission that officers broke into Sommerfeld said “it is not track record of the coun-
A day earlier, the Organi- of the ambassador. People his room and he resisted legal to grant asylum to try’s detention facilities,
zation of American States seeking asylum have lived when they attempted to people convicted of com- where hundreds of people
in a statement reminded anywhere from days to put his hands behind his mon crimes and by com- have died during violent ri-
its members, which include years at embassies around back. She said the offi- petent courts.” ots over the past few years.
Ecuador and Mexico, of the world, including at Ec- cers then “knocked him to ECUADOR’S PRESIDENT Those killed while in custody
their obligation not to “in- uador’s in London, which the floor, kicked him in the FACES REELECTION NEXT include some suspects in
voke norms of domestic housed WikiLeaks founder head, in the spine, in the YEAR last year’s assassination of
law to justify non-compli- Julian Assange for seven legs, the hands,” and when Noboa became Ecuador’s a presidential candidate.
ance with their internation- years as British police could he “couldn’t walk, they president last year as the “In Ecuador, going to jail
al obligations.” not enter to arrest him. dragged him out.” nation battled unprece- is practically a death sen-
U.S. State Department Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s Vera said the defense dented crime tied to drug tence,” Vera said. “We
spokesperson Matthew Mill- secretary of foreign rela- team was not allowed to trafficking. He declared consider that the interna-
er said “the United States tions, on Friday posted on speak with Glas while he the country in an “internal tional political and legal
condemns any violation of the social media platform X was at the prosecutor’s of- armed conflict” in January person responsible for the
the Vienna Convention on that a number of diplomats fice, and it is now working and designated 20 drug- life of Jorge Glas is Presi-
Diplomatic Relations, and suffered injuries during the to file a habeas corpus pe- trafficking gangs as terrorist dent Daniel Noboa Azín.”q
takes very seriously the ob- break-in. tition. groups that the military had