The ICJ Dismisses Urgent Measures in Ecuador-Mexico Diplomatic Dispute
The United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, declined on Thursday to immediately order Ecuador to protect Mexican diplomatic properties following an April 5 raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito. This incident occurred as Ecuadorian police forcibly attempted to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas, who had taken refuge in the embassy.
In his statement, ICJ President Nawaf Salam noted that Ecuador’s promises to ensure the protection and security of the Mexican diplomatic premises mitigated the need for urgent measures. Salam remarked, 'The Court considers that at the moment there is no urgency' given the assurances provided by Ecuador.
Diplomatic Tensions Rise between Ecuador and Mexico
The embassy raid exacerbated already high tensions between the countries after Glas, a convicted fugitive, was granted asylum by Mexico in December. Mexico escalated the situation by submitting a case to the ICJ, accusing Ecuador of violating international law and demanding provisional measures for the protection of its diplomatic staff and properties.
Alejandro Celorio Alcántara, legal adviser to Mexico's Foreign Ministry, expressed anger at Ecuador's actions, describing them as crossing 'lines in international law that should not be crossed.' In response, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated that the ICJ case seeks to establish a precedent to prevent similar acts of violence against diplomatic missions in the future.
On the other hand, Ecuador’s legal team defended their actions, with Andrés Terán Parral justifying the raid as necessary to apprehend Glas. Ecuador’s government had assured that measures were in place to protect the embassy and facilitate the removal of Mexican personnel and properties from the premises.
The ICJ emphasized that Ecuador must continue to 'guarantee the protection and security of the facilities, properties, and archives of the Mexican embassy' and ensure that no further actions aggravate the existing dispute. Both nations have severed diplomatic relations following these events, leading to a complex and potentially prolonged legal battle.
- The case is expected to take years to resolve, during which Mexico has urged the ICJ to order Ecuador to take 'appropriate and immediate measures' to provide complete protection to the diplomatic premises and to allow Mexican officials to vacate their properties.
- Ecuador has welcomed the ICJ's preliminary decision, asserting that it confirms the 'unnecessary nature of the request' made by Mexico, given the nation's repeated assurances of the protection and security of the embassy and its occupants.
- The ICJ ruling stresses the importance of resolving diplomatic disputes by peaceful means and reaffirms that embassies and consulates, along with their personnel, are inviolable under international law, pursuant to the 1961 Vienna Convention.
- Ecuadorian authorities claimed the raid was necessary to prevent Glas from fleeing, as Mexico’s refusal to allow his detention created an urgent situation. Glas had been released for health reasons in November 2022 after serving prison time for corruption charges.
