Mexico has called for Ecuador to be suspended from the UN following the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito in April. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) declined to order Ecuador to protect Mexico’s embassy in the wake of the raid. Mexico filed a complaint against Ecuador at the ICJ, alleging that Ecuador’s actions violated its sovereignty and breached diplomatic conventions. The complaint also called for an apology from Ecuador or face suspension from the UN. However, the ICJ President stated that Ecuador had already made assurances to provide full protection to the embassy, addressing Mexico’s concerns.
Ecuador had stormed the Mexican embassy in search of former Vice President Jorge Glas, who was staying at the embassy since December 2023. Glas had been convicted of charges related to bribery and misuse of public funds. Tensions escalated between Mexico and Ecuador in the months following the raid, with Ecuador filing a counter-complaint against Mexico at the ICJ, accusing Mexico of interfering in its domestic affairs by sheltering Glas. President Lopez Obrador’s decision to grant political asylum to Glas further strained relations between the two countries, with Ecuador declaring Mexico’s ambassador persona non grata.
The storming of the embassy has been widely condemned across the region for appearing to violate international laws, including the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that establishes embassies and consulates as protected spaces. The Organization of American States (OAS) expressed solidarity with the victims of the raid and called on both countries to resolve the issue. The US Department of State also emphasized the obligation of host countries to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions. Despite a three-member Ecuadorian tribunal declaring the raid illegal, Glas remains imprisoned in Guayaquil.
The ICJ President noted that Ecuador had given assurances to provide full protection to the Mexican embassy, addressing Mexico’s concerns about the security of its diplomatic premises. Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry welcomed Ecuador’s pledges as a step in the right direction, while emphasizing the importance of all political actors in Ecuador reaffirming the inviolability of embassies. The court determined that there was no urgency requiring preliminary orders to protect the embassy, given Ecuador’s assurances. The case at the ICJ has highlighted the diplomatic row between Mexico and Ecuador, which has resulted in strained relations between the two countries. Mexico’s complaint against Ecuador is expected to be ruled on in the coming years.
In the wake of the storming of the Mexican embassy and the subsequent imprisonment of former Vice President Jorge Glas, Mexico and Ecuador have been embroiled in a diplomatic crisis. The ICJ’s decision not to order Ecuador to protect the embassy, given Ecuador’s assurances, has brought some resolution to the immediate security concerns. However, the broader issues surrounding the raid and its implications for diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ecuador remain unresolved. The international community has condemned the raid for violating international laws, while both countries await further rulings on the case at the ICJ.
