The Colombian president believes the assault on the Mexican Embassy “has to do with the same thing” although “comparatively” it is not the same
April 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, assured this Tuesday during the virtual meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) that Ecuador and Israel “are shaking hands in the competition for barbarism” due to the assault by the Ecuadorian Police to the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest the former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas.
“Ecuador is not an example of coexistence, it is repeating a message that comes from times when only death was possible. I don't know why, they will say it there, why a president who has so little space in time presidential allows such barbarism. Ecuador and Israel shaking hands in the competition for barbarism,” Petro said, according to the Colombian radio station W Radio.
“What has happened with Ecuador is part of that barbarism, it cannot be called anything else. Comparatively it is not the same as what happened with Iran or Gaza, but it has to do with the same thing,” he added.
In that sense, he has appealed to Latin American leaders to be “responsible” to ensure that these types of actions do not occur again, and he has called on both left-wing and right-wing movements to “come to an agreement.”
“I hope the Ecuadorian authorities reconsider, it is not just saying we were wrong. Mr. Glas should be reinstated to his right to asylum and if the Government of Mexico decides to go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), we will accompany them. The Ecuadorian Government must think about Latin America,” added Petro.
The Colombian president has compared this event to the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which more than 33,800 Palestinians have already died. This action was initiated following the attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages.
The Ecuadorian Police entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito over the weekend, where former Vice President Glas had been staying for weeks, alleging fear for his safety. Mexico had confirmed shortly before the police operation that it would provide political asylum to President Rafael Correa's former 'number two'.
The authorities of Ecuador accuse the former vice president of an alleged crime of embezzlement of public funds for reconstruction work in the province of Manabí after a strong earthquake in 2016, which left more than 670 dead.
