Mexico cuts ties with Ecuador after Jorge Glas arrested in embassy raid

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a longtime leftist, had been an ally of Ecuador’s former president, Rafael Correa, who left workplace in 2017. López Obrador prompted an uproar this week by saying that the brand new president, conservative Daniel Noboa, won the election in October as a result of “they created this local weather of worry.” Ecuador was shocked throughout the marketing campaign when gunmen assassinated a well known candidate, anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio, a criminal offense blamed on drug cartels.

Ecuador promptly declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata after López Obrador’s remarks.

The dispute escalated sharply Friday night. López Obrador mentioned Ecuadorian police entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito “by pressure” to extract the previous vice chairman. Ecuadorian authorities confirmed Glas had been detained.

“No delinquent will be thought of to be politically persecuted,” Ecuador’s authorities mentioned in an announcement. It mentioned Mexico had “abused the immunity and privileges” its embassy loved.

Mexico responded Friday evening by breaking diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

“This can be a flagrant violation of worldwide regulation and of Mexico’s sovereignty,” López Obrador tweeted. He mentioned he had ordered his overseas minister to “instantly declare the suspension of relations with the Ecuadorian authorities” due to the “authoritarian act.”

Ecuador has been combating a surge in violence attributed to drug traffickers battling over booming visitors in cocaine headed from Colombia to Europe and South America.

López Obrador has largely maintained a realistic relationship with the USA, his nation’s No. 1 buying and selling accomplice. However he has been feuding with quite a few conservative governments in Latin America. The governments of Peru and Bolivia have withdrawn their ambassadors due to crucial feedback by the Mexican chief.