Mexico Files Lawsuit against Ecuador at International Court of Justice Amid Diplomatic Rift

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protest the police raid on its embassy in Quito. The embassy had been serving as a sanctuary for former Vice President Jorge Glas, who sought refuge there after being accused of embezzlement.

Mexico’s legal advisor, Alejandro Celorio, stated that Ecuador violated the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations by infringing on the embassy’s immunity. The convention specifies that diplomatic agency premises are inviolable and that host country forces cannot enter without permission from the head of the diplomatic mission.

The ICJ is the main judicial body of the United Nations and handles legal complaints between countries regarding alleged violations of international law. While the ICJ’s rulings are binding, it lacks the means to enforce them. Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena called for Ecuador to be suspended from the United Nations until Quito apologizes for the incident. However, this move was met with criticism from various countries in the Americas, Europe, and from United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, condemned Ecuador’s actions as “dictatorial” and severed diplomatic ties with the country. This move sparked outrage among various countries in Latin America and beyond. In response to Mexico’s lawsuit at the ICJ, Ecuador argued that it had acted within its own laws and did not recognize Mexico’s claim to jurisdiction over its territory.