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Mexico has severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador after Ecuadorian law enforcement officials on Friday arrested Ecuadorian politician Jorge Glass, who was granted asylum at Mexico's embassy in Quito.
The arrest, which Mexico described as a “violation” of its sovereignty, set off rising tensions between the 2 Latin American international locations. Ecuador considers Mr. Glass a fugitive and stated its police drive was processing a warrant for Mr. Glass's arrest.
Right here's what to know concerning the politician on the heart of the controversy.
Jorge Glass is the previous Vice President of Ecuador.
Mr. Glass served in a number of ministerial roles underneath the longtime leftist authorities of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. Mr. Glass's most notable function was as vice chairman of SRI Correa, a place he held from 2013 to 2017.
His tenure as Vice President within the subsequent authorities led by Lenin Moreno lasted only some months. In 2017, he was faraway from workplace and sentenced to 6 years in jail after being discovered responsible of taking bribes value greater than $13.5 million.
Worldwide building firm Odebrecht was concerned in bribery Admitted to paying bribes in additional than a dozen international locations. The corruption scandal concerned present and former officers in Latin America and has shaken its political institution.
He grew to become embroiled in different bribery fees.
In 2020, Mr Glass was discovered responsible in a separate bribery case of accepting cash in change for the awarding of public contracts between 2012 and 2016.
The case was carefully watched, and never simply due to Mr. Glass's involvement: Amongst these finally convicted of accepting practically $8 million in bribes was Mr. Correa, the nation's magnetic however divisive former president. Mr Correa and Mr Glass had been each sentenced to eight years in jail, with Mr Correa claiming the sentence was politically motivated.
Mr Glass was granted early launch from jail in November 2022 after legal professionals argued he was not protected behind bars. Going through extra fees from Ecuadorian prosecutors over alleged embezzlement of public funds, he sought asylum in Mexico in December. For months, he lived on the grounds of the Mexican Embassy in Quito.
His arrest on the Mexican Embassy led to the severance of diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
The asylum standing of the previous Vice President has been a rising level of rivalry between the 2 international locations for a number of months. Ministry of Overseas Affairs of Ecuador stated in march He had requested Mexico for permission to arrest Mr. Glass.
Within the days earlier than Mr. Glass's arrest, relations between the 2 international locations grew to become extra strained after Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador questioned the legitimacy of Ecuador's current presidential election and commented publicly on final 12 months's homicide. Went. An Ecuadorian political candidate.
Ecuador on Thursday criticized Mr Lopez Obrador declared Mexico's ambassador “persona non grata”, or persona non grata, for commenting on the killing. In response, Mexico stated that it has instructed its ambassador to return to Mexico. In the identical launch, Mexico stated it could grant political asylum to Mr. Glass and condemned the elevated presence of Ecuadorian authorities close to the embassy.
Mexico has granted political asylum to different former officers in Latin American international locations who’ve been accused of corruption, creating friction inside the area. In 2019, it granted asylum to former Bolivian President Evo Morales and in 2022 to the household of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo.
After Ecuador arrested Mr. Glass, native information reviews confirmed that two black vehicles, sirens blaring, drove away and law enforcement officials stopped onlookers. mexican official instantly broke diplomatic relations Ecuador known as the seizure of Mr. Glass a violation of worldwide legislation.
The Ecuadorian authorities has stated that the choice to arrest Mr. Glass was taken as a result of Mexico had abused using diplomatic immunity and privileges.
“The nationwide authorities protects nationwide sovereignty with out permitting anybody to intervene within the nation's inside affairs,” a press release from Ecuador's presidential workplace Friday stated.