Mexico City granted asylum to Ecuador’s former vice president in its embassy in Quito, leading to a legal battle between the two countries. On April 29, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to sue Mexico for violating international obligations by providing asylum to Jorge Glas.
In the lawsuit, Ecuador claimed that Mexico used its embassy to unlawfully protect Mr. Glas from Ecuadorian authorities and interfere in the country’s internal affairs. The ICJ is the primary judicial body of the United Nations that addresses disputes between countries concerning breaches of international law. While its decisions are binding, there is no mechanism for enforcement.
Following a police raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Glas, Mexico City severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador and filed a counter-lawsuit at the ICJ. The trial is set to commence on April 30. Various countries and international bodies, including Spain, the European Union, the United States, and the UN Secretary General, expressed disapproval of Ecuador’s actions, citing violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa defended the police raid as necessary to prevent Glas from fleeing justice. After being apprehended, Glas was transferred to a prison in Guayaquil, where he embarked on a hunger strike and required hospitalization. Following medical treatment, he was returned to prison custody.
