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Why did Ecuador raid Mexico's Quito embassy?

Mexico has abruptly suspended its bilateral relations with Ecuador due to an escalating dispute. This comes after Ecuadorian police broke into Mexico's Quito Embassy and arrested a former Vice President on corruption charges.

Why did Ecuador enter Mexico's Embassy?

The heavily armed police, wearing balaclavas, broke into the Mexican embassy in Mexico late Friday night, to arrest Jorge Glas. Ecuador's former vice president and leftist, he is wanted for graft.

Glas, who has lived in the embassy in Mexico since December after seeking asylum in this North American country only on Friday, is a victim of a gang-related crime.

Ecuador claims that the asylum offer is illegal because, under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Charges, it's not permissible to grant asylum to people who are facing charges.

Mexico's President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador, who immediately suspended relations between Ecuador and Mexico after the raid, said that it had closely studied Glas’ case.

The arrest came at the end of a week that saw tensions grow between the two Latin American nations after Quito declared Mexico's ambassador persona non-grata citing the "unfortunate comments" made by the leftist Lopez Obrador.

The Mexican president compared the violence that occurred during elections in Mexico and Ecuador, claiming the killing of Ecuadorean presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio, last year, was unfairly attributed to the leftist candidate who lost the race. Lopez Obrador also blamed corrupt media for the election manipulation he called out.

In his six-year tenure as president, Lopez Obrador has frequently railed against the media.

Who is Jorge GLAS and what charges are he facing?

Glas, who served as vice president in the Rafael Correa government between 2013 and 2017 has been convicted of corruption twice and now faces new charges of misusing public resources.

In late 2017, a Brazilian court sentenced him to six years after finding that he had taken bribes in exchange for state contracts from the scandal-ridden Odebrecht construction firm.

Glas, 54, received an eight-year prison sentence in 2020 for using money from contractors as a means to finance Correa's political campaign.

Correa, who lives in Belgium after leaving office, was also convicted of the same crime.

Both men have long alleged the charges are politically-motivated, an accusation prosecutors have denied.

Glas spent more than four-years in prison, was released in 2022 and then sent back to jail the following year. A court had ruled that he must serve his remaining sentences even though his attorneys requested he do so concurrently.

Glas was released from prison in November 2022. He now faces charges for misusing funds collected by the coastal province of Manabi after a devastating earthquake in 2016.

In December, his lawyers appealed the decision of a judge to send him to jail again, arguing that he could be in danger. But, they were denied.

What has been the regional reaction?

The arrest of Glas was sharply condemned by governments in Latin America, including Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Uruguay, all on the left.

Brazil's government condemned Ecuador for its raid on an embassy abroad, calling it a "clear breach" of international standards prohibiting such a raid. Argentina demanded that the Vienna Convention regarding diplomatic relations be adhered to.

What's next?

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said that it would file a complaint at the International Court of Justice of the United Nations, while the leftist government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced it would seek protection for Glas' human rights from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It said his right to asylum had been "barbarously" violated.

The Washington-based Organization of American States announced that a meeting of its permanent council would be held to discuss the importance of strict compliance with international agreements. (Reporting and Editing by Marguerita Choy)