Ecuador Rebuked in Latin America for Mexican Embassy Raid

Storming followed standoff over sheltering ex-vice president
Noboa seeking to consolidate after winning presidency in 2023

Ecuadorian police special forces attempt to enter the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas, on April 5.Photographer: Alberto Suarez/AFP/Getty Images

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By Stephan Kueffner and Jose Orozco

April 6, 2024 at 9:28 PM UTC

Updated on

April 7, 2024 at 1:59 AM UTC

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Ecuador’s government drew condemnation across Latin America for storming the Mexican embassy to arrest a former vice president, a breach of diplomatic protocol that President Daniel Noboa linked to his fight against criminal gangs and cartels.

Mexico broke off diplomatic ties after Ecuadorian police raided the embassy late Friday. Governments including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Honduras denounced the storming and the Organization of American States called for a meeting. Nicaragua’s government accused Ecuador of “neofascist political barbarism” and said it’s ending relations.