Ecuadorian police officers forcibly broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito, detaining former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas. This dramatic turn of events has sparked a diplomatic row between Ecuador and Mexico, leading to the severing of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The incident occurred after President Lopez Obrador commented on Ecuador's violence-marred election last year, prompting a rebuke from Ecuadorian officials.
President Lopez Obrador called the arrest of Ecuador's former VP Jorge Glas at Mexico's Quito embassy "a flagrant violation of international law." The former vice president had sought political asylum in the Mexican Embassy after being indicted on corruption charges in Ecuador. Jorge Glas had been convicted of bribery in two separate cases and had been holed up in the embassy since December.
The immediate fear is that there will be more political violence in Ecuador as a result of this incident. Such violence is relatively new for the country, which has been facing a steep rise in violence tied to political turmoil. In the recent presidential election, Daniel Noboa, whose father is the country's richest man, emerged as the winner amid the backdrop of increasing unrest.