Ecuador Seeks Diplomatic Reconciliation with Mexico, Glas Release Nonnegotiable

Ecuador is seeking to re-establish communication with Mexico and resolve a diplomatic rift following the controversial police raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito. Ecuadorian officials have expressed readiness for dialogue, but the release of former Vice President Jorge Glas, who was the target of the raid, remains a nonnegotiable matter.

Almost two months after a police raid on the Mexican embassy in Ecuador, the South American country's government is seeking to re-establish communication with Mexican officials and reach a solution to the diplomatic rift that ensued.

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld stated that her country is "ready" for dialogue with Mexico, with the only nonnegotiable matter being the release from prison of Ecuador's former Vice President Jorge Glas, who was the target of the April 5 raid.

Glas, who had been granted political asylum hours before the raid, was found by police in a bedroom and dragged out of the embassy in the capital, Quito. The raid drew immediate condemnation from governments worldwide, leading to both Ecuador and Mexico filing complaints against each other with the International Court of Justice.

Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and "inviolable" under international law, and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without permission from the ambassador.

Glas, who was convicted in two corruption cases, had lived in the Mexican embassy since mid-December while on parole. Days after Mexico announced that Glas had requested asylum, a judge revoked his parole and ordered him to serve out the remainder of his sentence, totaling two years and 11 months.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the embassy raid, claiming it was necessary "to protect national security." His government argued that Glas was wanted for his criminal convictions, not political reasons, and accused Mexico of violating international law by granting him asylum.

Meanwhile, the Mexican government led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has made the release of Glas a condition for any reconciliation. Mexico closed its embassy and two consulates immediately after the raid.

Sommerfeld said that Ecuador has accepted Mexico's request for a third country to serve as a diplomatic communication channel, but declined to identify the country. Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena earlier stated that Switzerland was "most likely" the third country.

Sommerfeld clarified that trade between Ecuador and Mexico continues, as does the provision of assistance to citizens of both countries through other embassies and international organizations.

Regarding the increasing migration of Ecuadorians to the United States, Sommerfeld acknowledged a surge in migration in the past three years, primarily due to lack of employment and safety. She estimated that approximately 2.4 million Ecuadorians live outside their home country, with over 123,000 not returning from trips abroad last year.

Noboa's government, according to Sommerfeld, is addressing the root causes of migration by focusing on security, job creation, and education.