The government of Ecuador entered the Mexican embassy in Quito yesterday evening and arrested Jorge Glas, former vice president of Rafael Correa (2007-2017)after the Mexican government granted him the political asylum he requested, prompting President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to announce the cessation of diplomatic relations with the Andean country.
The Ecuadorian National Police He climbed the walls of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters to capture Glaswho had a preventive detention pending against him on suspicion of corruption in which he is currently being prosecuted, after serving almost five years in prison between 2017 and 2022 for two current convictions for crimes that he denies because he is a victim. political persecution against him.
EFE was able to verify that several police officers scaled the walls and fences of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters and then left the residence denounced by the head of the Foreign Ministry and political affairs of the embassy, Roberto Canseco, as something “totally unacceptable, it is barbarism.”
Canseco told journalists in statements that the The Ecuadorian police broke into the embassy and attacked the security guards at the diplomatic headquarters.
“They stormed the Mexican embassy in Ecuador like criminals. This is not possible. That can’t be. It’s crazy,” he said, visibly upset, before expressing concern for Glass, “because they could kill him.”
“There is no basis for this,” he said, pointing out that there had been no prior notice of the police intervention. “This is outside the norm and they are doing it because (Glas) is a persecuted person, as we can see today,” he said.
López Obrador announces cessation of relations
Minutes later, the Ecuadorian government confirmed Glas’s arrest in a statement on social media, just as Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denounced it on social media “a blatant violation of international law and Mexican sovereignty”.
“I have instructed our Chancellor (Alicia Bárcena) to issue a statement on this authoritarian act, to take legal action and to declare it immediately Disruption of diplomatic relations with the government of Ecuador“López Obrador announced.
The incursion of the Mexican embassy by the Ecuadorian authorities and the subsequent arrest of Glas occurred in one Moment of highest tension in relations between the two countries after the government of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa expelled the Mexican ambassador over statements by López Obrador about the assassination of candidate Fernando Villavicencio and the impact the 36-year-old young entrepreneur had on elections won years ago.
For weeks, the Noboa government’s idea was to enter the Mexican embassy to arrest Glass, asking Ambassador Raquel Serur for permission in late February, which was quickly denied by the Mexican executive without hesitation.
Ecuador calls glass a “criminal”
In a statement, the government of Ecuador said that “no criminal can be considered politically persecuted” and that this is the case Glas “was sentenced to an executive sentence (firm). and there was an arrest warrant from the relevant authorities.”
In addition, he assured that “the immunities and privileges granted to the diplomatic mission were abused” and that Mexico had granted Glas asylum, contrary to the traditional legal framework, “his arrest was carried out.”
“Ecuador is a sovereign country and We will not allow a criminal to go unpunished.“added the Ecuadorian presidency, which reiterated its “respect for the Mexican people, who share our feelings for the fight against corruption that affects neutral countries.”
The precedent of former Minister Duarte
Since the Mexican government had announced the decision to grant Glas political asylum, the embassy was no longer there heavily guarded from the outside to avoid a new episode like the one a little over a year ago with the former Correista minister María de los Ángeles Duarte.
In this case, it was Argentina, under the government of Peronist President Alberto Fernández, that granted this Duarte requested political asylum after more than two years of staying with her minor son in the Argentine ambassador’s residence.
However, the then Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso did not accept the granting of safe conduct This allowed Duarte to leave the country for Buenos Aires without arrest, allowing the former minister to leave Ecuador without the Ecuadorian authorities noticing, triggering a diplomatic crisis with Argentina, as a result of which both countries expelled their respective ambassadors.
Glass, in prison between 2017 and 2022
In Glas’s case, the former vice president arrived at the Mexican embassy in late December 2023 after being there Indictment for alleged embezzlement of funds in the case of the “reconstruction” of the province of Manabí after the strong earthquake of 2016.
Glass, that He was released at the end of 2022 after five years in prison With two convictions for bribery and illicit association, each involving eight and six years in prison, he is charged with alleged embezzlement (embezzlement) in the “reconstruction” case of the coastal province of Manabí after the 2016 earthquake.
The former vice president, the He considers himself innocent and a politically persecuted victim of “lawfare.”arrived at the Mexican embassy in Quito when there was no arrest warrant for him, and earlier this year a judge ordered his arrest and he was sent to a makeshift prison.
