QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Mexico's president announced Friday night that he is severing diplomatic relations with Ecuador after police invaded the Mexican embassy in Quito.
The announcement came after Ecuadorian police forcefully entered the Mexican embassy in Quito and detained former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Grasz, who was seeking political asylum, amid deepening diplomatic rifts between the two countries. .
This is the latest news. Previous articles from the Associated Press are below.
QUITO, ECUADOR (AP) —
This is the latest news. Previous articles from the Associated Press are below.
QUITO, ECUADOR (AP) – Ecuadorian police forced their way into the Mexican embassy in Quito on Friday, detained former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Gras, and took him to the embassy. Mexico's president declared the act a “flagrant violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty” and announced a formal severance of diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
The raid came hours after the Mexican government granted Mr. Glass political asylum amid deepening diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Mr. Glass is perhaps Ecuador's most wanted man, facing investigations into corruption and bribery.
Police broke down the outer door of Mexico's diplomatic headquarters in Ecuador's capital and entered the main patio.
“Ecuador is a sovereign nation and will not allow any criminals to remain free,” Ecuador's president said in a statement Friday night.
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador criticized the detention, calling it an “authoritarian act.”
López Obrador wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the government will “proceed with legal procedures and immediately declare a suspension of diplomatic relations.”
Experts overseeing the arrest said the act was a brazen violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and was likely to drive a wedge between the Mexican and Ecuadorian governments.
“That can't happen, it can't happen, it's crazy,” Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consulate in Quito, said outside the embassy.
Asked about former Vice President Glass' situation and whether he had been arrested by official forces, he said: There is no basis for doing this, and this is completely outside the norm. ”
Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ecuador's Ministry of Interior did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
The Mexican embassy in Quito remained under heavy police security until late Friday.
Tensions between the two countries escalated the day before after Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador said that Ecuador considered the last election won by Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa “very disappointing.” It has increased.
In response, the Ecuadorian government Mexican ambassador declares persona non grata.
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