Conflict Alerts # 623, 11 April 2024
Dhriti Mukherjee In the news
On 3 April, Mexican President, Andres Manual Lopez Obrador, commented that Ecuador President Daniel Noboa “suspiciously” won Ecuador’s elections by “taking advantage” of the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. This statement resulted in Ecuador’s government declaring Mexico’s ambassador, Raquel Serur, as a persona non grata on 4 April. Ecuador’s presidential office asserted: “The national government defends national sovereignty, without allowing anyone to interfere in the country’s internal matters.”
On 5 April, Ecuadorian special forces equipped with tactical gear forcefully entered the Mexican embassy and arrested Glas. Earlier on that day, Mexico’s foreign ministry announced that it had offered political asylum to Ecuador’s former Vice President, Jorge Glas, who had been staying in Mexico’s embassy since December 2023, and emphasised that Ecuador was “obliged to immediately grant” Glas “safe passage.” Obrador described the forceful entry and arrest of Glas as an “authoritarian act” and “a flagrant violation of international law and sovereignty of Mexico.”
On 6 April, the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena, announced the “immediate” suspension of diplomatic ties with Ecuador. The Organization of American States (OAS) expressed “solidarity with those who were victims of the inappropriate actions that affected the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador.”
On 7 April, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said that the office was “alarmed at the forced entry of Ecuadorian security forces into the premises of the Mexican embassy.”
On 9 April, US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, criticised the Ecuadorian government for having “disregarded its obligations under international law as a host state to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions,” and asked the countries to “find a resolution to this diplomatic dispute” together.
Issues at large
First, the sanctity of diplomatic missions. Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations sets rules on diplomatic immunity which blocks authorities from entering embassies by force. Under this, the premises of an embassy are “inviolable,” and the “agents of the receiving state” cannot enter without the “consent of the head of the mission.” Further, it lays down that the “premises of the mission,” along with furnishings, property, and transport, are “immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution.”
Second, adherence to the law regarding embassies. Although countries adhere to international law protecting embassies, there have been a few cases of violation of the same. Recently, on 1 April 2024, Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus was destroyed in a suspected Israeli missile strike. Embassies have in the past, sheltered dissidents. Ecuador gave asylum to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from 2012 to 2019 after he was ordered by a London court to be extradited to Sweden over rape allegations. This resulted in the British government threatening to raid Ecuador’s embassy, which Ecuador’s government described as a “clear breach of international law.” In March 2024, the Argentinian embassy in Caracas gave refuge to the Venezuelan opposition coalition and in 1979, Iran took over the US Embassy in Tehran.
Third, corruption charges against Glas. Jorge Glas was the vice president of Ecuador during 2013-17. He was forced out of office in 2017 and sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of receiving USD 13.5 million in bribes. Later in 2020, he was found guilty of issuing public contracts in exchange for money between 2012 and 2016. After being released from prison in November 2022, he faced more charges from prosecutors over allegedly embezzling public funds. The trial was deemed controversial, and on 18 December 2023, Ecuador’s Attorney General Diana Salazar claimed Glas was given parole as Ecuadorian drug trafficker Leandro Norero bribed judges. He sought asylum from Mexico and has been staying on the embassy’s grounds since December 2023.
In perspective
First, a rocky road ahead for Ecuador. Following the incident, Latin American countries explicitly expressed support for Mexico and harshly criticised Ecuador. On 6 April, countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Venezuela rebuked Ecuador. Brazil’s government said Ecuador’s actions were a “clear violation” of international norms and “must be subject to strong repudiation.” Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said Latin America should “keep alive the precepts of international law in the midst of the barbarism.” On the same day, Nicaragua announced it would also sever diplomatic ties with Ecuador. This collectively harsh reaction could have negative implications for Ecuador’s regional ties.
Second, a potential case against Ecuador in the ICJ. On 8 April, Mexico said it would file a case against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Barcena stated that the “behaviour of the Government of Ecuador was disproportionate and must not set a precedent.” She asked the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) member states to “back the lawsuit” and “demonstrate to the international community that breaches of international law are unacceptable.”
Third, strain in bilateral relations. While the two countries have largely maintained positive relations, the rift could hamper relations to a significant extent. Apart from Ecuador’s actions, Obrador’s comments on the elections in Ecuador wherein he questioned Noboa’s victory indicate tensions may persist between the two leaders.