Former Ecuador Vice President Jorge Glas Attempted Suicide, Is on Hunger Strike After Mexico Embassy Raid, Says Ex-President Rafael Correa
Former Ecuador President Rafael Correa went on the record that his former vice president, Jorge Glas, tried to commit suicide earlier this week and is now on hunger strike inside a prison in Guayaquil to protest his arrest. This comes after Ecuador faces mounting international pressure after police raided the Embassy of Mexico just to arrest Glas.
Former President Correa and Glas's lawyer, Sonia Vera, verified the former VP's suicide attempt after he was sent to a hospital. Glas reportedly refused to eat food provided in jail and became sick.
"We have confirmed that the medical emergency was a suicide attempt. He has not eaten anything and is on a hunger strike," Rafael Correa confirmed on X. Meanwhile, Vera posted a video of her client recounting his arrest last week, which began a diplomatic row that has many countries siding with Mexico and condemning Ecuador.
Glas was convicted of corruption twice as vice president and became one of the most unpopular politicians in the country. After the verdict last year, he hid inside the Mexican Embassy and months later, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador granted him asylum.
Despite the former vice president being on foreign soil and under the diplomatic protection of Mexico, Ecuador police still conducted a raid on the embassy, with President Daniel Noboa claiming that Mexico keeping Glas there was illegal. However, this was quickly rebuked by the international community, including the United States which said that Ecuador's government broke international law by imposing on Mexico's sovereignty with the raid.
Former Ecuador Jorge Glas Is Now in Stable Condition After a Suicide Attempt
Jorge Glas reportedly refused to eat food for 24 hours since he was arrested in that daring Mexico Embassy raid. This caused him to fall sick and the Ecuadorian government sent him to the hospital. Now, Ecuador prison authority SNAI has confirmed that while he is still sick, former Vice President Glas is now in a stable condition.
READ MORE: Mexico Vs. Ecuador Feud: White House Slams Ecuadorian Government Over Raid Vs. Mexico Embassy
According to Al Jazeera News, it was also confirmed that the embattled former vice president has been returned to prison but must remain under further medical observation. His lawyer, Sonia Vera, expressed her "deep worry and alarm" over his condition after claiming that she and the rest of his legal team were unable to contact him.
Mexico recently released footage from the embassy raid and it showed Ecuadorian authorities hurting Mexican diplomatic staff and pointing a gun at one of its diplomats. The videos also showed police slamming the elderly Glas to the ground several times.
Canada and Honduras Join Condemnation of Ecuador Over Mexico Embassy Raid
More countries in the Americas have joined the growing number that are slamming Ecuador, and this includes one of Mexico's top allies, Canada, which means the North American "Big 3" have all condemned Ecuador's actions.
According to DW, Canada stated that its government was "deeply concerned at Ecuador's apparent breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by entering the Embassy of Mexico without authorization."
Meanwhile, Honduras, another key Mexico trading partner, also came out to condemn Ecuador, with Honduran President Xiomara Castro slamming the raid on X, writing, that the raid is "an intolerable act for the international community" and a "violation of the sovereignty of the Mexican State and international law" because "it ignores the historical and fundamental right to asylum."
READ MORE: Ecuador Faces More Fallout Over Raid at Mexico Embassy as Political Chaos Erupts
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Mexico Releases SHOCKING Embassy Raid Footage - Breaking Points