Ecuador Files Lawsuit Vs. Mexico in ICJ Over Granting Asylum to Former VP Jorge Glas

The Ecuador Vs. Mexico spat has just escalated even further as Ecuador filed a lawsuit against Mexico days after the latter filed a complaint in the ICJ against them. The lawsuit is over Mexico granting political asylum to embattled former Vice President Jorge Glas, while Mexico previously filed its complaint after Ecuadorian authorities stormed the Mexican Embassy to arrest Glas.

In its filing to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ecuador accused Mexico of obstructing "the proper administration of justice in Ecuador, [and] constituted, among other things, a blatant misuse of the premises of a diplomatic mission."

According to Al Jazeera News, Ecuador also accused Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of making "false and injurious statements calling into question the legitimacy of the elections in Ecuador," adding that the outgoing Mexican president's statements "breached the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states."

While the Ecuadorian lawsuit did not specify which AMLO statements were false, it is believed to be when the Mexican president implied that the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year had an effect on the Ecuadorian election's outcome.

This was when Ecuador declared the Mexican ambassador as persona non grata, with Mexico cutting diplomatic relations with the South American country after the raid on the Mexican embassy.

Soon after the raid, Glas was taken to a prison in Quito and reportedly attempted suicide. He was also on a hunger strike. The raid also led to several condemnations worldwide, including from Mexico's top trading partner, the United States.

Ecuador Claiming Mexico Granting Asylum to Former Vice President Jorge Glas is Illegal

As for its argument in suing Mexico, Ecuador stated in its lawsuit that "Glas was a fugitive wanted on corruption convictions and not for political reasons, and that therefore he was not eligible for Mexico's diplomatic protection." This led to Ecuador arguing that they were in the right when they raided the Mexican Embassy.

According to the Associated Press, Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs argued that Mexico failed to comply with "its obligations not to grant asylum to people who are being prosecuted or on trial for common crimes or have been convicted by competent ordinary courts."

The ICJ released a statement about the new lawsuit, stating that the South American country "accuses Mexico of unlawfully granting Mr. Glas political asylum and of interfering in its internal affairs."

Mexico Has Long History of Granting Asylum to Political Exiles

As for Mexico, the country granting asylum to another country's politicians is nothing new, as it granted political asylum to the leaders of other countries, including the Soviet Union's Leon Trotsky after his spat with Joesph Stalin, as well as Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi right after the Iranian Revolution.

This history of granting asylum also happened at the height of World War II, according to Al Jazeera news. The North American country accepted 1,850 Jewish refugees from 1933 to 1945. Now, a descendant of these refugees, Claudia Sheinbaum, is the frontrunner in winning the Mexican Elections slated for June 2.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico suspends diplomatic ties with Ecuador | Ecuadorian forces storm Mexico's embassy in Quito - WION