He General secretary This Saturday he expressed being alarmed by the forcible entry of the Ecuadorian security forces into the Mexican Embassy in Quito. He called for moderation and urged both governments to resolve their differences through peaceful means.
Through a release of his spokesperson, António Guterres reaffirmed “the cardinal principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel,” and stressed that this principle must be respected in all cases, in accordance with international law.
Furthermore, Guterres noted that violations of this principle “jeopardize the pursuit of normal international relations, which are fundamental to the advancement of cooperation between States.”
Diplomatic relations suspended
Hours earlier, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, decided to suspend diplomatic relations with Ecuador after local police forcibly entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito on Friday night and detained the former vice president of Ecuador , Jorge Glas, who was taking refuge in their facilities and processing political asylum.
“This is a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico,” López Obrador said in a tweet, referring to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in force since 1963, which indicates that embassies are territories of national sovereignty and inviolable.
Governments from across the region and across the political spectrum also criticized the embassy raid, including Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay.
Late Saturday, the Organization of American States called for dialogue between Ecuador and Quito to resolve the diplomatic rift, adding that its permanent council would meet to discuss the need for strict compliance with international laws, including the guarantee of the right of asylum.
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico indicated that, on instructions from the president, she was coordinating the return of diplomatic personnel accredited in Ecuador, who are scheduled to travel on Sunday, April 7, back to the Mexican capital.
Alicia Bárcena Ibarra added that the Mexican Embassy in Quito will remain closed indefinitely.
Right to asylum
Mexico had granted asylum to the former Ecuadorian vice president, who had been taking refuge in the embassy since December, last Friday. However, Daniel Noboa's government argued that normal diplomatic norms were not valid due to the corruption charges he faces.
Jorge Glas faces new corruption charges after being convicted in 2017 of accepting bribes from a Brazilian construction company in exchange for the awarding of government contracts. The former vice president reportedly argues that the new allegations are politically motivated.
