Latin American Tensions Flare After Ecuador's Embassy Raid for Ex-VP Despite Mexico's Asylum Offer
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Mexico cut diplomatic ties with Ecuador after Ecuadorian authorities raided Mexico's embassy in Quito and arrested former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas, who had sought asylum there.
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Several Latin American countries, including Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela condemned Ecuador's embassy raid as a violation of international law. Nicaragua also cut ties.
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The raid came after Mexico granted Glas asylum just before he was set to be arrested on a warrant relating to corruption charges and misuse of reconstruction funds from a 2015 earthquake.
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Ecuador had declared Mexico's ambassador "persona non grata" after Mexico's president criticized Ecuador's recent elections.
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Glas argues the charges against him are politically motivated persecution by Ecuador's attorney general's office. He was previously convicted and jailed for taking bribes from Brazilian company Odebrecht.