Ecuador: The Storming of the Mexican Embassy

Highlights: Ecuadorian special forces entered the Mexican embassy in Quito with a battering ram on Friday. They broke down the outer door of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters and broke into the main courtyard. They were targeting a guest at the embassy, former Vice President Jorge Glas. Mexico has severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador and withdrawn all diplomats from the country. But domestically, the incident could benefit 36-year-old President Daniel Noboa, who has taken tough action against drug trafficking and corruption.

Armed police stormed the Mexican embassy in Ecuador to arrest the ex-vice president who had sought protection there. It's a diplomatic scandal. However, the incident could benefit the President of Ecuador.

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Security forces on duty

Photo: Rodrigo Buendia / AFP

Ecuadorian special forces entered the Mexican embassy in Quito with a battering ram on Friday - an almost unprecedented scandal. They broke down the outer door of the Mexican diplomatic headquarters and broke into the main courtyard. They were targeting a guest at the embassy, former Vice President Jorge Glas. After the embassy was stormed, he was taken away with media attention. Glas's lawyer Sonia Vera reports violence against her client during the arrest. She said police officers "knocked him to the ground, kicked him in the head, spine, legs and hands," and when he "could no longer walk, they dragged him out."

How does Ecuador justify its actions?

The Ecuadorian authorities wanted to arrest the former vice president. There is a risk of escape, said Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. Jorge Glas sought refuge in the Mexican embassy in Quito last December after an arrest warrant was issued against him on corruption charges. Mexico granted the politician political asylum on Friday "after a thorough analysis." Noboa had described this as an “illegal act.”

At this point, according to the Mexican Foreign Ministry, there was already an "increased presence of Ecuadorian police forces" in front of the embassy in Quito. This was “harassment” and a “violation of the Geneva Convention,” criticized Mexico. Hours later, police broke down the embassy's exterior door and arrested Glas.

How does Mexico react?

Mexico has severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador and withdrawn all diplomats from the country. "This is a blatant violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty," López Obrador wrote on social media. He ordered the suspension of diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's foreign minister, thanked the returning diplomats for "defending our embassy in Quito, even at the risk of their own physical well-being." She compared the actions in Ecuador to the behavior of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. "Not even the dictator Pinochet would have dared to enter the Mexican embassy in Chile," she said on Sunday.

Mexico wants to take the raid to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. "We believe that we can win this case quickly," said the Foreign Minister. According to Bárcena, 18 countries in Latin America, 20 in Europe and the Organization of American States (OAS) support Mexico in this matter.

How do other countries react?

The incident sparked international outrage. Following numerous Latin American states, the EU also condemned the storming of the embassy on Sunday. UN Secretary General António Guterres reacted with “alarm” to the incident in Quito. The OAS reminded its members, which include Ecuador and Mexico, of their obligation "not to invoke norms of national law to justify non-compliance with their international obligations."

A US State Department spokesman said: "The United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and takes very seriously host countries' obligations under international law to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions." He called on the two countries to uphold their to resolve differences.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry said: "The violent entry into the Mexican Embassy in Quito constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. We call for respect for international law and harmony between Mexico and Ecuador, friends and members of Spain of the Ibero-American community.”

Is the storming of the embassy just about the fight against corruption?

In terms of foreign policy, the violation of the Mexican representation is likely to further isolate Ecuador and further inflame the already high tensions between the two countries. But domestically, the incident could benefit 36-year-old President Daniel Noboa. This was chosen last November as the country battled unprecedented drug-related crime. Since then, the center-right politician and son of a banana tycoon has taken tough action against violence, corruption and drug trafficking.

In January, Noboa spoke of an "internal armed conflict" and described 20 drug trafficking gangs as terrorist groups that the military was allowed to "neutralize" under international humanitarian law. Noboa's term ends in 2025 as he was only elected to serve the remainder of the term of resigned President Guillermo Lasso. The action to arrest Jorge Glas and the dispute with Mexico could strengthen Noboa, whose approval ratings have recently dwindled, for the election next year.

Who is Jorge Glas?

Jorge Glas was Minister of Strategy and later Vice President during the first term of office of the left-leaning President Rafael Correa (2007-2017). In 2017 he was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption. Glas is said to have awarded public contracts for the construction of oil infrastructure projects to the Brazilian company Odebrecht in exchange for bribes. The case is part of a wide-ranging scandal surrounding the construction giant, in which several people have been convicted.

What legal status do embassies have?

According to the Vienna Conventions of 1961, diplomatic facilities are considered foreign soil and inviolable. Law enforcement authorities of the host country are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. Diplomats and their families enjoy immunity - they are guaranteed impunity. The latter often leads to tricky situations.

Time and again, people take refuge in embassies in other countries to avoid persecution. A prominent example is the Ecuadorian mission in London, which hosted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for seven years to protect him from arrest by the British police. Assange only left the embassy in 2019 and has been on trial ever since.

What preceded the storming of the embassy?

Last week, before Glas was granted asylum and the Ecuadorian security forces stormed the embassy, diplomatic tensions between the two countries had increased. On April 3, Mexican President López Obrador questioned the election of his Ecuadorian counterpart Noboa.

After the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot while leaving a campaign rally in August, a candidate won the elections in Ecuador "in a suspicious manner," he said in a speech. López Obrador did not mention Noboa's name, but suggested that the candidate won the election by "taking advantage of the moment."

The next day, Ecuador declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata and ordered her to leave the country. She has been Mexico's ambassador to Ecuador since 2019. López Obrador said he would send a military plane to bring the ambassador home.

With material from the agencies