Ecuador has initiated proceedings against Mexico at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating international law by granting political asylum to its former Vice President, Jorge Glas. Glas, already convicted of corruption and bribery in connection with the Odebrecht case, was further being investigated for corruption pertaining to the use of funds earmarked for earthquake relief in Manabi.
This move by Mexico was met with strong opposition, including a direct response from Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who commanded national police to enter the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador and arrest Glas. This sparked an international outcry, with countries including Mexico and the United States condemning Ecuador’s breach of international obligations such as the inviolability of embassies, a tenet underlined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR).
In response to this criticism, and as a counter gambit to Mexico’s already initiated case against it before the ICJ, Ecuador lodged its own lawsuit. The Chancellery of Ecuador confirmed that the state initiated proceedings for violations of Article 41 of the VCDR and Article 3 of the 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, among others.
Ecuador maintains that the Embassy of Mexico interfered with its internal affairs and violated the Organization of American States Convention, which stipulates that asylum should not be granted to individuals who are convicted or being processed at the time of their request. Noboa has previously declared that Ecuador will not permit any act that interferes with its rule of law and state sovereignty.
For the original news release, please refer to this report.