Ecuador Accuses Mexico of Interference at ICJ Hearing Over Arrest of Ex-VP Glas

Ecuador accused Mexico of overt interference in its internal affairs at an International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on Wednesday over the arrest of former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas from the Mexican embassy in Quito on April 5. Glas, who was twice convicted of corruption and facing further charges, had been living in the Mexican embassy since December. Mexico granted him asylum and filed a case with the ICJ, arguing that Ecuador's actions violated international law.

Mexico has accused Ecuador of a "flagrant violation of international law" for storming the Mexican embassy and arresting Glas, who had been granted asylum by Mexico. Mexico claims the raid violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and has requested the ICJ to order Ecuador to provide full protection and security for its diplomatic premises and allow Mexico to clear its diplomatic premises. "There is no legal defense for the raid, which violated the inviolability of the embassy," Mexico argued at the hearing.

Ecuador's ambassador to the Netherlands told the court that Mexico had misused its diplomatic premises to shelter a "common criminal." Ecuador has also filed its own case against Mexico at the ICJ, arguing that Mexico broke international law by granting asylum to Glas. "Mexico's granting of asylum to a convicted criminal was itself a violation of the Vienna Convention," Ecuador contended.

Why this matters: The legal dispute between Mexico and Ecuador at the ICJ reflects broader tensions between the two countries and could set a precedent for diplomatic relations and the treatment of asylum seekers. The outcome of the case may impact how countries handle similar situations in the future and the extent to which diplomatic premises can be used to protect individuals from criminal charges.

The preliminary hearings at the ICJ are focused on Mexico's request for interim orders while the case progresses, with Ecuador expected to respond. The ICJ cases typically take years to reach a final judgment, and while its rulings are legally binding, the court has no means of enforcing them. As the ambassador of Mexico to the Netherlands stated, "The circumstances leading to the embassy raid were exceptional, as Mexico had misused its diplomatic premises to shelter a common criminal." The dispute between Mexico and Ecuador over the arrest of Glas and the alleged violations of international law now rests with the ICJ to resolve in the coming months and years.

Key Takeaways

• Ecuador accused Mexico of interfering in its affairs over Glas' arrest from embassy.
• Mexico claims Ecuador violated diplomatic law by raiding its embassy to arrest Glas.
• Ecuador argues Mexico violated law by granting asylum to convicted criminal Glas.
• ICJ hearing focused on Mexico's request for interim orders as case progresses.
• Outcome may impact how countries handle asylum cases and embassy protections.