The Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution that “strongly” condemns the incursion of the Ecuadorian Police into the Mexican Embassy in Quito.
In the same act it is also reaffirmed “the obligation” that States have to “respect in their entirety” the provisions of the 1954 Diplomatic Asylum Convention» and remember that diplomats are obliged “not to interfere in the internal affairs” of the receiving state.
According to the 1954 Diplomatic Asylum Convention, signed in Caracas, it is established that States cannot grant diplomatic asylum to people who are being prosecuted for common crimes or to those who have already been convicted..
The former vice president Jorge Glaswho was granted political asylum by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has two final convictions for corruption and illicit association, and a preventive detention order due to a new judicial investigation into a third case of corruption.
The resolution, presented to the OAS Permanent Council by the Colombian delegation, was approved with the favorable vote of the vast majority of countries and the only vote against from Ecuador.
The delegation of Mexico did not appear at the session, while El Salvador abstained from the vote.
Do not grant asylum to common criminals
The resolution resolves “strongly condemn the intrusion into the facilities of the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador and the acts of violence carried out against the integrity and dignity of the diplomatic staff of the mission”.
The document reaffirms “the obligation of all States to ensure respect for the privileges and immunities of diplomatic missions” and calls for respect of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which establishes that embassies are inviolable.
The events occurred last Friday night, when, by order of the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, the Police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest Jorge Glas, former vice president of Rafael Correa prosecuted for corruption and who had requested political asylum in Mexico.
The images from the security cameras, which were projected at the OAS session, show how The police pointed guns and held Roberto Canseco, in charge of the diplomatic mission, on the ground while they took Glas away..
After that episode, the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, broke diplomatic relations with Ecuador, which justifies its actions by accusing Mexico of having violated international asylum treaties by sheltering a person prosecuted for corruption.
Start dialogue
Likewise, it urges Ecuador and Mexico to “initiate a dialogue and take immediate actions to resolve this serious matter in a constructive manner.”
This Wednesday’s session, called at the request of Colombia and Bolivia, two allied governments of Mexico, is the second this week after Tuesday’s, which was called by Ecuador to justify its actions.
Representatives of countries such as Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras and Panama took the floor to condemn the assault on the embassy, an event that they considered unjustified, unprecedented in history and that cannot be repeated.
The United States ambassador to the OAS, Francisco Mora, also criticized the incursion, especially the “use of force” against Mexican diplomatic personnel, and asked Mexico and Ecuador to work together to resolve their dispute.
The Ecuadorian vice chancellor, Alejandro Dávalos, expressed his rejection of the resolution, saying that Mexico should be condemned for violating the asylum treaties and accused López Obrador of meddling in Ecuadorian internal politics.
Canseco’s “Dignity”
The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, concluded the session claiming that this Wednesday’s resolution is “absolutely necessary” and expressed recognition of the “dignity” of Canseco, who risked his physical integrity defending the embassy, he said.
López Obrador announced that his Government will present its complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday. EFE
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