Diplomatic Breakup as Ecuadoran Cops Storm Mexican Embassy

Soldiers patrol outside the government palace during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuado
AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa
Ildefonso Ortiz and Brandon Darby

Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered an end to all diplomatic relations with Ecuador soon after police forces from that country stormed the Mexican Embassy.

The diplomatic dust-up took place on Friday night in Quito, Ecuador, when police forces arrested former Ecuadoran Vice President Jorge Glas Espinel, a fugitive from justice who was staying in Mexico’s Embassy after asking for political asylum.

Glas Espinel served as the country’s vice president from 2013 until his removal in 2017 during a bribery scandal. Since then he has been convicted and received various sentences on multiple bribery cases.

Mexico’s government denounced the raid and claimed that Ecuadoran police forces assaulted Mexican diplomatic staff. Roberto Canseco, the head of the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador, claimed that he was struck by police forces when he tried to physically keep them from entering the building.

Ecuador’s government issued a statement defending their actions, claiming that Glass Espinel had been previously convicted of various corruption crimes and, as such, was a criminal and not politically persecuted. The former politician had been staying at the Mexican embassy since December after asking for asylum, claiming to be targeted by the current government, Reuters reported. In prior weeks, Ecuadoran authorities had Mexico’s government asked for permission to enter the embassy and arrest Glas Espinel but had been turned away.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.     

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