Mexico foreign minister says Ecuador ambassador will not be expelled following suspension of diplomatic relations News
EneasMx, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mexico foreign minister says Ecuador ambassador will not be expelled following suspension of diplomatic relations

Mexico’s foreign minister, Alicia Bárcena, announced on Monday in a press conference in Sinaloa that the Ecuadorian ambassador to the country will not be asked to leave following an “unjustified” raid on Mexico’s embassy in Quito. Bárcena also informed that the ministry would be turning to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to “denounce this flagrant violation of international law.”

Bárcena reaffirmed the illegal entry into its embassy was a “flagrant violation of sovereignty, the right to asylum and international treaties” and added the country will be submitting a complaint to the ICJ and will seek the support of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the UN. She said that while the Mexican ambassador to Ecuador, Raquel Serur, was expelled and the embassy closed indefinitely, it would not subject the Ecuadorian embassy in Mexico to the same measures.

Bárcena welcomed back its embassy staff and expressed her gratitude on behalf of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the Mexican people for their defense of their country’s sovereignty.

Mexico severed its diplomatic relations with Ecuador following the illegal entry into its embassy by Ecuadorian police and the arrest of former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas. The Ecuadorian government announced beforehand it was declaring Serur “persona non grata” after comments made by López Obrador regarding the 2023 elections and the murder of the former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, as the country was still in mourning.

The Mexican government further added it will deal with the arrest of Glas, who it affirmed was taking sanctuary in its embassy under the status of political asylum, through the corresponding international body.

Mexican Senator Beatriz Paredes released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) condemning the violent invasion by Ecuadorian security forces at the Mexican Embassy in Quito. Paredes asserted that the events violate their sovereignty and international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to which both countries are signatories.

Mexico received substantial support from South American countries following the raid. Cuban diplomat Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla conveyed his solidarity and support to México. Argentina also condemned the incident, calling for full observance of the provisions of international instruments, mainly those of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Other countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay echoed the same sentiments.

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