Mexico suspends embassy operations in Ecuador following police raid

By Sinan Dogan

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - The Mexican government has announced an indefinite suspension of its embassy operations in Ecuador's capital Quito following a police raid.

In a statement, Mexico's Foreign Ministry said services at its embassy in Quito have been terminated indefinitely, with 18 Mexican diplomats scheduled to return to their country via commercial flights.

The ministry assured continued service for Mexican citizens abroad through the registration system and advised that if needed, assistance can be sought from Mexican embassies in Colombia, Chile, and Peru.

"We are attentive to the diplomats of our country, they are not alone," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote on X.

Obrador also expressed gratitude to countries and leaders offering support after an Ecuadorian police raid.

"We appreciate the solidarity of leaders, and civil organizations from different countries and our own after the assault on the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador," he said.

In a significant diplomatic escalation, Mexico has suspended its relations with Ecuador after the Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito on Saturday, aiming to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who has been residing there since Dec. 2022.

Speaking to the reporters, Roberto Canseco, the head of political affairs at the Mexican Embassy, denounced the raid, stating that Ecuadorian police entered the embassy by force and assaulted the staff.

Lopez Obrador characterized Ecuadorian police's intrusion into the embassy as a breach of Mexico’s sovereignty.