The Hague: Ecuador’s raid on the Mexican embassy in early April to arrest a former high-ranking Ecuadorian official crossed the line and set a dangerous precedent for global diplomatic relations, the UN’s top court heard on Tuesday.
Ecuadorian security forces stormed the Mexican embassy in a night raid on April 5 to arrest former vice president George Glass, who is wanted on corruption charges and has been granted asylum by Mexico.
“There is a line in international law that must not be crossed,” Mexico’s representative told the judge at the International Court of Justice.
“Unfortunately, Ecuador has crossed that line,” Alejandro Celorio Alcantara told the Hague-based court where Mexico filed the case against Quito.
Quito’s rare visits to diplomatic territory sparked international outrage and prompted Mexico to cut ties with Ecuador and expel its diplomats.
On Tuesday, Celorio warned about the attack by special forces, saying the footage was shown in court as an “unpleasant” example.The operation “set an uncomfortable precedent that resonated with the international community,” he said.
