In QUITO (Reuters) a Latin American governments, such as Brazil, showed support for Mexico after an incident at the Mexican embassy in Ecuador led to the arrest of a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexico. The arrest of Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s former vice president, sparked Mexico City to immediately suspend relations with Quito. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador condemned the arrest as an “authoritarian” act and a violation of international law.
On Saturday, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba criticized the arrest of Glas, who had been sheltering in the embassy since December. The politician was seen in a video being taken by police to the airport in Quito, where he boarded a plane to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.
The government of Brazil condemned Ecuador’s actions as a breach of international norms prohibiting raids on foreign embassies. Brazil’s foreign ministry released a statement expressing solidarity with Mexico and calling for strong condemnation of Ecuador’s actions.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also spoke out against the incident, emphasizing the importance of upholding international law in Latin America.
Glas, who has been convicted twice for corruption, sought asylum in the Mexican embassy in December. Ecuador had requested permission from Mexico to arrest him, but the request was denied. In 2017, Glas was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
Glas has maintained his innocence, claiming political persecution. Ecuador’s government denies these allegations and insists that the arrest warrants are valid.
Latin American governments are divided in their response to the incident at the Mexican embassy in Ecuador. While some countries support Mexico and condemn Ecuador’s actions, others have called for a respect for international law.
Mexico has suspended relations with Ecuador following the arrest of Glas at the embassy. Mexico’s President has criticized the incident as a violation of sovereignty and international law.
The situation at the Mexican embassy in Ecuador has highlighted tensions between Latin American countries over issues of asylum, international law, and political corruption. The arrest of Glas has raised concerns about the rule of law and diplomatic norms in the region.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains unclear how Ecuador, Mexico, and other Latin American countries will navigate their diplomatic relations in the aftermath of this incident.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
