Ecuador’s actions in raiding the Mexico City embassy in Quito were condemned by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as “dictatorial”. The raid, which took place on April 5, was aimed at capturing former vice president Jorge Glas, who had been sentenced to prison for corruption linked to the Odebrecht construction group. The police had been unable to locate Glas after his release from prison in November 2022 and sought refuge at the Mexican embassy to avoid an arrest warrant issued in December.
The Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations emphasizes that diplomatic premises are sacrosanct areas, with host country forces prohibited from entering without the diplomatic mission head’s consent. Ecuador violated this convention by breaching the immunity of the Mexican embassy in Quito during the raid. Alejandro Celoria, a legal adviser at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Ecuador had committed a violation of international law and urged Mexico to seek justice through the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ is a primary judicial body of the United Nations responsible for resolving legal disputes between countries concerning alleged violations of international law. While its rulings are binding, it lacks enforcement mechanisms. Mexico aims to use the international justice system to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The court has already set a hearing for May 30th where both countries will present their cases and arguments before judges make a final decision on whether Ecuador is guilty of violating international law or not.
