Gunmen break into a TV channel in Ecuador/Twitter
Jorge Glass, the former vice president and the most wanted man in Ecuador, was arrested tonight (Saturday) at the Mexican embassy after he requested political asylum. Glass is facing investigations of corruption, bribery and more. Ecuadorian policemen broke into the embassy located in the capital city of Quito and arrested the former vice president. The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced that his country would sever diplomatic ties with Ecuador following the break-in and the arrest, and the diplomatic rift between the two countries deepened.
"Ecuador is a sovereign country - we do not intend to allow any criminal to remain free," the country's presidential office stated after the arrest. On the other hand, the president of Mexico said that the arrest of Glass is "a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico". A senior official at the Mexican Foreign Ministry said that this was a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and that several diplomats suffered injuries during the incident.
"Ecuador is a sovereign country - we are not going to allow any criminal to remain free." Ecuadorian forces at the entrance to the Mexican embassy/Reuters
"A flagrant violation of international law and of Mexico's sovereignty." Ecuadorian forces at the entrance to the Mexican embassy/Reuters
Ecuador's act in question constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, since according to one of its clauses "the territory of the diplomatic mission's residence shall be immune and the envoys of the receiving country are not permitted to enter the territory of the delegation's residence." Global experts who watched the arrest pointed out that the act is a serious violation of the Vienna Convention, which could escalate the conflict between the governments of Mexico and Ecuador.
"It's not possible, it can't be, it's crazy," said Roberto Canasco, head of Mexico's diplomatic section in Ecuador, in an interview outside the embassy. When asked about the condition of the former Ecuadorian vice president and if he was captured by public forces, he stated: "I understand yes, I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do that, it is completely outside the norm."
"It's not possible, it can't be, it's crazy." Ecuadorian forces at the entrance to the Mexican embassy/Reuters
Tensions between the countries escalated the day before, when the president of Mexico stated that Ecuador would be "very unhappy" following the victory of Daniel Novoa in the country's recent elections. In response, the Ecuadorian government declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata.
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