UN suspension sought over embassy raid by Ecuador

Mexico filed a lawsuit against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the storming of its embassy in Quito, saying it wanted the South American country “suspended” from the United Nations.

Mexico’s complaint asks that Ecuador be suspended from the UN unless it issues a public apology “recognising the violations of the fundamental principles and norms of international law”, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said.

“[The goal was to] guarantee the reparation of the moral damage inflicted on the Mexican state and its nationals,” she said.

Security forces stormed the embassy last Friday to arrest former Ecuadorian vice-president Jorge Glas, who is wanted on corruption charges and had been granted asylum by Mexico.

The rare incursion on diplomatic territory sparked an international outcry, and led Mexico to break ties with Ecuador, pulling its diplomats out of the country.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the goal of the suit was “that this doesn’t repeat itself in any other country in the world, that international law is guaranteed”.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has defended the embassy raid, saying Glas had posed a flight risk, and that he was willing to resolve differences with Mexico.

The Hague-based ICJ – set up after World War II to rule in disputes between countries – confirmed late on Thursday it had received the application.

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said suspending a country from the UN was “an issue for member states to decide”. “We do very much hope that the tensions between Ecuador and Mexico are dealt with through dialogue,” Stephane Dujarric said.

While a proper hearing into the matter may take several y ears, Mexico has also asked international judges to hand down a set of emergency orders to protect its diplomatic officials.

“The Mexican embassy in Ecuador, along with its property and archives, faces the risk of not being protected or further being violated again,” Mexico said in its application.

After his capture, Glas, 54, was taken to a maximum security jail in Ecuador’s port city of Guayaquil – notorious for violent riots and drug-related gang violence. His friend and former boss Rafael Correa, who was president from 2007 to 2017, wrote on X that Glas “is on a hunger strike”.

He was returned to prison on Tuesday after a short hospital stay that officials said was brought on by his refusal to eat for 24 hours.

Correa said on social media “the medical emergency was a suicide attempt” by Glas. Correa is living in exile in Belgium to avoid serving an eight-year corruption sentence in Ecuador.