Mexico announced its intention to lodge a formal complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Ecuador on Monday, April 8, over a controversial raid on its embassy in Quito.
This incident led to a sharp international backlash and the departure of Mexican diplomatic staff from Ecuador on Sunday, as diplomatic relations between the two nations were abruptly cut off.
The raid happened late Friday when Ecuador’s security forces entered the embassy to detain a former vice president who was taking refuge there.
Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena stated, during a welcoming event for the returning diplomats, that Mexico would present its case to the ICJ starting the following day, expressing optimism about a swift victory.
The raid, executed to apprehend former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas—who was accused of corruption and had been granted political asylum by Mexico on Friday—drew criticism from Spain, the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, and several Latin American countries.
The situation escalated after Mexico’s ambassador was expelled from Ecuador following remarks by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which the Ecuadorian government of President Daniel Noboa found objectionable.
The raid on the embassy, a move deemed highly unusual due to the diplomatic immunity generally afforded to such premises, involved special forces and a dramatic entry.
Mexican diplomats and their families returned home on a commercial flight, escorted to the airport by representatives from several countries and the Ecuador-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, following the decision against using a military aircraft amid the high tensions.
President Lopez Obrador has since condemned the raid as a blatant violation of Mexico’s sovereignty, highlighting an incident where the mission’s head, Roberto Canseco, was physically assaulted by officers during the incursion.
