MEXICO CITY – Mexico released security camera video Tuesday of the moments when Ecuadorian authorities forced their way into Mexico’s embassy, pushed a Mexican diplomat to the ground and carried out Ecuador’s former vice president who had been holed up there.
The action Friday night greatly escalated tensions between the two countries, which had already been tussling since ex-Vice President Jorge Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive, took refuge at Mexico’s embassy in December.
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Ecuadorian police scaled the embassy walls and broke into the building Friday. Roberto Canseco, Mexico’s head of consular affairs and the highest ranking diplomat present since Ecuador expelled the ambassador earlier in the week, tried to keep them from entering, even pushing a large cabinet in front of a door.
But police restrained him and pushed him to the floor as they carried Glas out.
Mexico, as well as experts, say it appeared to be a blatant violation of international accords. Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the country in response. Leaders across Latin America condemned Ecuador’s actions as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
At his daily news briefing Tuesday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador played the security video and said it showed the “authoritarian and vile” way police had raided the embassy.
López Obrador criticized North American allies Canada and the United States for what he said was not speaking out forcefully enough against the raid. Mexico has said it plans to file a formal complaint with the International Court of Justice.
Later Tuesday, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan appeared to voice a stronger rejection of Ecuador's actions.
“We condemn this violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, including the use of force against embassy officials,” Sullivan said during Tuesday's press briefing. “We’ve reviewed the security camera footage from the Mexican embassy and believe these actions were wrong. The Ecuadorian government disregarded its obligations under international law as a host state to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions and jeopardized the foundation of basic diplomatic norms and relationships.”
The Organization of American States discussed the dispute Tuesday as well.
Ecuador's Deputy Minister of Human Mobility Alejandro Dávalos told OAS representatives gathered in Washington, D.C. that Glas did not meet the requisites to merit receiving asylum from Mexico and could not be considered politically persecuted.
But Secretary General Luis Almagro noted that “the use of force, the illegal incursion into a diplomatic mission, nor the detention of an asylee are the peaceful way toward resolution of this situation.” He said Ecuador’s actions could not be allowed to set a precedent.
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