QUITO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador drew widespread criticism from the United Nations and several Latin American nations on Saturday after its police broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested former Vice President Jorge Glas, who has been taking refuge in the embassy since last December.
DIPLOMATIC BACKLASH
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "alarmed" by the raid carried out by Ecuadoran security forces at Mexico's embassy in Quito to arrest graft-accused Glas, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, on Saturday.
The UN chief urged both Ecuador and Mexico to show "moderation" and "solve their differences through peaceful means," the spokesman said in a statement.
The incident prompted Mexico to swiftly sever diplomatic ties with Ecuador. "This is a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Other Latin American countries, including Cuba and Bolivia, were united in support of Mexico following the raid.
"All our solidarity with Mexico, in the face of the unacceptable violation of its Embassy in Quito. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which is an essential component of international law, must be respected by all," said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on X.
Ecuador's move "must be subject to strong repudiation, whatever the justification for its implementation," said Brazil's foreign ministry in a statement.
On Saturday, Nicaragua also severed "all diplomatic relations" with Ecuador. In a statement, the Nicaraguan government expressed its "absolute rejection" and condemnation of Ecuador's action.
WHO IS JORGE GLAS?
Glas served as vice president under Rafael Correa's government from 2013 to 2017.
In 2017, he was initially sentenced to six years after a court found him guilty of taking bribes from a Brazilian construction company. He was convicted again in 2020 of using funds from contractors to finance campaigns for Correa's political movement, resulting in an eight-year sentence.
He was last released in November 2022, but Ecuadorian authorities have recently accused Glas of embezzling government funds meant for reconstruction following a devastating 2016 earthquake.
Ecuador, which sought Mexico's permission to enter the embassy in March to detain Glas, argues that the asylum offer was illegal and has demanded his extradition.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a treaty regulating international relations, a country is prohibited from encroaching on an embassy located within its territory. ■
Saudi Arabia is going to sponsor the WTA women's tennis rankings under a new partnership
Argentina reports its first single
Man sought after ‘So I raped you’ Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
Police are still searching a suspect in the fatal shooting of a University of Arizona student
With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
Estate agent's 'charming' £125,000 three
Orca sinks another boat in Strait of Gibraltar, authorities warn of run
Fed's Powell downplays potential for a rate hike despite higher price pressures
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect
Farm family’s newest crop shows China’s solar ascendancy
Ontario will suspend driver’s licenses for convicted car thieves for at least 10 years