Mexico said it will file a complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice, in response to the raid on its embassy in Quito, which has sparked intense international condemnation.
Mexican diplomats left Quito on Sunday as the two countries severed diplomatic ties, after Ecuadorian police entered the Mexican Embassy to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas, who was sheltering inside.
"We believe that we can win this case quickly," Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said at an event to welcome the diplomats home, when she announced the country's intentions to challenge the raid at The Hague.
According to the foreign minister, Mexico has been backed by 18 countries in Latin America, 20 in Europe and by the Organization of American States.
"Not even the dictator Pinochet had dared to enter the Mexican embassy in Chile," Barcena said Sunday, referring to the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. "They entered violently and without authorization, physically assaulting (diplomatic officials). We energetically condemn it."
Diplomatic premises are regarded as foreign territory and are deemed "inviolable" under the Vienna treaties. Host country law enforcement agencies are prohibited from entering these premises without the ambassador's consent.
Ecuador has interestingly been in the public eye worldwide for granting Individual asylum in its embassy in London accommodating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for seven years, during which British police were unable to enter to apprehend him.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa endorsed the police actions and vowed that his administration will ensure all criminals face justice, in a statement. "No criminal should be shielded under the guise of political persecution," Noboa declared.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, widely known as AMLO, condemned the Ecuadorian authorities' actions as a "blatant violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty."
Mexico has also condemned the physical assault on the head of the mission, Roberto Canseco, who was pushed to the ground by officers while attempting to thwart the intrusion. "This is unbelievable, it's inconceivable. It's utter madness!" Canseco said to local television following the raid.
International leaders have almost unanimously condemned Ecuador for this action. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "The United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions."
Glas had been staying at the Mexican embassy in Quito since December, after seeking asylum due to facing corruption charges.
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