Mexico has appealed to the International Court of Justice to boot Ecuador from the United Nations, following a late night police raid on its embassy in Quito.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico filed a complaint with the court on Thursday, calling Ecuador’s actions a violation of international law.
“The letter and spirit of international law is the guide for our steps,” she wrote.
Although they are not “foreign soil” — a common misconception — international law places them off limits to local police.
It said the suspension should only be lifted once Ecuador issues “a public apology recognising its violations to the fundamental principles and norms of international law”.
The administration of President Lopez Obrador also severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador as a result of Glas’s arrest.
Other countries and international organisations have likewise expressed concern and outrage over the police raid, calling it a violation of international laws.
The Organization of American States (OAS) also released a statement saying that “strict compliance” with the international law governing diplomatic relations is “essential”.
In response to a police raid on Ecuador’s embassy in Quito late at night, Mexico has filed an appeal with the International Court of Justice to expel Ecuador from the UN.
According to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Ecuador’s actions are against international law, and Mexico has filed a complaint with the court on Thursday.
At a press conference, Lopez Obrador declared, “The court, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, should approve the expulsion, and there should be no veto.”.
Reiterating the president’s remarks on social media, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said Ecuador should be held “to account for flagrant violation of the inviolability of our embassy and attacks on our staff.”.
“The guidelines for our actions are found in the letter and spirit of international law,” the author stated.
The main focus of Mexico’s case is the contentious police operation that led to the arrest of former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas, who was taking refuge in the Mexican embassy in Quito to avoid being taken into custody.
Embassies are regarded as restricted areas. Despite the widespread misperception that they are “foreign soil,” local police are not allowed access to them under international law.
As a result, embassy staff members are free to do their jobs without worrying about being detained or subjected to intimidation by regional authorities.
For instance, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations from 1961 states that “the premises of the [diplomatic] mission shall be inviolable.”. Only with the mission chief’s approval may receiving State agents enter them. “.
Nonetheless, by seeking sanctuary in a foreign embassy, political dissidents and other notable individuals have also exploited this “rule of inviolability” to evade capture.
For example, Glas has twice been found guilty of charges related to bribery and corruption. In 2017 and 2020, he received sentences of six and eight years in prison, respectively.
Prior to his Friday arrest, President Lopez Obrador extended an offer of political asylum in Mexico to Glas, who had sought asylum in the Mexican embassy since December.
But late Friday night, armed Ecuadorian police broke through the Mexican embassy’s doors and climbed the building’s wall, aiming a gun at one of the senior diplomats there.
Diplomat Roberto Canseco was thrown to the ground as he attempted to stop police cars from leaving the embassy with Glas inside, according to video that the Mexican government released on Wednesday.
Mexico has subsequently demanded Ecuador’s expulsion from the UN. Only after Ecuador issues “a public apology recognising its violations to the fundamental principles and norms of international law,” would the suspension be lifted, according to the statement.
Along with cutting diplomatic ties with Ecuador, President Lopez Obrador’s administration did the same following Glas’s apprehension.
Concerned and incensed over the police raid, other nations and international organizations have also denounced it as a breach of international law.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated on Tuesday that his administration thinks “these actions were wrong” based on security footage of the police raid.
Additionally, the Organization of American States (OAS) issued a statement stating that it is “essential” to adhere to the international law governing diplomatic relations.
Furthermore, according to OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro, the Glas situation ought to have been handled differently.
He declared that “the use of force, the illegal entry into a diplomatic mission, or the detention of an asylee are the peaceful way toward resolution of this situation.”.
Nonetheless, Ecuador has stood by its choice to storm the Mexican embassy. Glas’s eligibility for political asylum has been questioned by President Daniel Noboa’s administration, which has also reiterated its resolve to combat corruption inside its borders.
Public apologies “are not something that is under discussion at this moment,” according to Gabriela Sommerfeld, the foreign minister of Ecuador.
Meanwhile, Glas has been incarcerated in Guayaquil and has been on a hunger strike. On Monday, there was a brief hospital stay for him.
Glas’s former vice president, Rafael Correa, claimed the former president had made an attempt on his life following his detention.
Correa, who is facing a prison term in his home Ecuador due to allegations of corruption, is living in exile in Belgium.
