- Mexico has accused Ecuador of violating international law by attacking the Mexican embassy in Quito.
- Tensions between Mexico and Ecuador have escalated following attacks that occurred after Mexico granted asylum to convicted criminal Jorge Glas.
- Latin American leaders criticized the attack as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Mexico on Tuesday sued Ecuador in the United Nations Supreme Court, accusing it of violating international law by storming the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest its former vice president, who had just been granted asylum by Mexico.
The April 5 raid, hours after Mexico granted asylum to former Vice President Jorge Glass, was the first raid in both countries since Mr. Glass, a convicted fugitive, took refuge in the embassy in December. The tension that had been building between them suddenly escalated.
Leaders from across Latin America condemned the attack as a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Mexico calls on UN to suspend Ecuadorian operations over police attack on Mexican embassy in Quito
Ecuador said Mr. Grass was wanted for corruption charges, not for political reasons, and argued that Mexico’s granting asylum to a convicted criminal was a violation of the Vienna Convention.
Judge Nawaf Salam, second from the right, presided over the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024, when Mexico took Ecuador to the United Nations Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Peter DeJong)
A two-morning preliminary hearing at the International Court of Justice will focus on Mexico’s request for interim orders, known as interim measures, to be enforced while the case progresses in court, a process expected to take months. It will be done.
Among the measures Mexico is seeking is for the World Court to order Ecuador to take “appropriate and immediate measures to provide full protection and security for its diplomatic facilities” and to prevent further incursions. It is. It also requires Ecuador to vacate Mexico’s diplomatic facilities and the homes of diplomats in the country.
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In a lawsuit filed on April 11, Mexico also asked the court to award compensation and suspend Ecuador from the United Nations.
Ecuador also filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice on Monday, accusing Mexico of using its embassy to “protect Mr. Glass from the enforcement of Ecuador’s criminal laws,” calling the actions “amounting to, among other things, blatant misconduct.” insisted. Misuse of diplomatic mission premises. ”
The court sought to rule that Mexico’s actions violated numerous international agreements. No date was immediately set for a hearing in the lawsuit filed by Ecuador.
