Venezuela closes embassy in Ecuador to protest raid on Mexican embassy in Quito
- In Reports
- 01:06 PM, Apr 17, 2024
- Myind Staff
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro issued an order on Tuesday for the closure of his country's embassy and consulates in Ecuador as a gesture of solidarity with Mexico. This action was taken in response to Mexico's protest over a raid conducted by Ecuadorian authorities on the Mexican Embassy in Quito on April 5.
The announcements came on Tuesday as countries throughout the region gathered for a virtual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). During the summit, Maduro and other presidents supported Mexico's proposal for the United Nations to suspend Ecuador from the international organisation following the raid on the Mexican Embassy. However, Maduro was the only leader to announce the closure of diplomatic outposts and the recall of personnel in solidarity with Mexico.
“The condemnation has been unanimous, total, absolute,” Maduro said, referring to the excoriation Ecuador’s move has drawn. “No one today in this world comes out to defend this barbaric act.”
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa instructed authorities to conduct a raid on the Mexican Embassy to arrest the country's former Vice President, Jorge Glas, who was a convicted criminal and fugitive sought by Ecuadorian authorities. Glas had been residing in the embassy since December. Mexico granted him asylum shortly before police discovered him hiding in a bedroom and dragged him out.
The highly unusual use of force prompted swift condemnation from governments worldwide because diplomatic premises are typically regarded as foreign soil and are considered "inviolable" under the Vienna Treaties.
Noboa, who did not participate in Tuesday’s meeting, said last week that he authorised the raid “to protect national security.” His government has argued that Glas was wanted for his criminal convictions for corruption and not political reasons and has accused Mexico of violating the Vienna Treaties by granting him asylum.
Mexico responded to the raid by severing diplomatic ties with Ecuador and recalling its diplomatic mission. It aimed to leverage the CELAC meeting to garner support for its case both at the United Nations and before the International Court of Justice.
Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who currently leads CELAC, opened Tuesday’s meeting by reading a proposed statement condemning Ecuador’s actions. She then presented a video of Ecuadorian authorities breaking into Mexico’s Embassy, along with dramatic music.
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated his demand that Ecuador be suspended from the United Nations until it offers an apology and commits to refraining from similar actions in the future.
“If we don’t do this, we are not going to be able to live in a world ruled by norms, by laws,” López Obrador said. “We would be living in the world of the gorillas.”
The Mexican president cited Augusto Pinochet, the former ruler of Chile from 1973 to 1990, and highlighted that even during his regime, Chile did not conduct a raid on Mexico's embassy when Chilean dissidents sought refuge there. “Pinochet didn’t dare to invade our embassy, that fearsome dictator,” López Obrador said.
Maduro said he has ordered all diplomatic personnel back to Venezuela “until international law is expressly restored in Ecuador.”
Maduro said Glas, who is now being held at a maximum-security prison in the port city of Guayaquil, “must be returned to the Mexican embassy and have his political asylum recognized.”
Noboa faced further criticism for his absence from CELAC's virtual gathering. While leaders questioned his decision, he opted to post an Instagram video promoting improvements to law enforcement infrastructure and another video announcing an emergency declaration concerning the country's electricity sector, particularly amidst prolonged power outages in Quito.
“He should have shown up and assumed responsibility for himself in front of Ecuador, in front of Latin America, in front of the Caribbean, in front of the world and he has not shown his face,” Maduro said. “I can say from Venezuela that he has gone into hiding and the people of Ecuador should know it.”
Venezuela's Embassy in Quito seemed to be closed on Tuesday. People attempting to handle paperwork were left waiting outside, alongside journalists, who struggled to obtain responses from embassy personnel.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Venezuela’s announcement.
Under Maduro's 11-year presidency, over 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland, with the majority resettling in various countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. Ecuador hosts the sixth-largest concentration of Venezuelan migrants.
Ecuadorian officials and non-governmental organizations providing support to migrants estimate that 475,000 Venezuelans currently reside in Ecuador. According to Ecuador's 2023 census, more than 231,000 of them live there permanently and legally.
Image source: AP
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