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The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has announced the immediate withdrawal of his Government’s diplomatic and consular personnel in Ecuador. This decision is in support of Mexico’s demands following the military takeover of Mexico’s embassy in Quito to capture former Vice President Jorge Glas, who had political asylum and was preparing to travel to Mexico City. President Daniel Noboa violated the sovereignty of Mexico by using this measure of force.
The Venezuelan decision will not be changed until international law is restored in Ecuador, stated Maduro. He made this announcement at the summit of heads of state of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) amid a diplomatic crisis that is causing a noticeable divide between left and right-wing governments in the region.
By calling Ecuadorian President Noboa “fascist,” Maduro highlighted the expansion of fascism in the region. He emphasized how the extreme right is gaining ground in Latin America, a concern he has been voicing for some time.
Jorge Glas, who was vice president of Ecuador during Rafael Correa’s presidency, has close ties to Venezuela. Following Maduro’s instructions, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, confirmed the news on social media. Venezuela will support Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposal to expel Ecuador from the United Nations and take the matter to the International Court of Justice.
Maduro criticized President Noboa for the takeover of the Mexican embassy, stating it posed a direct threat to all embassies in Ecuador. Several Latin American presidents at the Celac meeting criticized Noboa’s actions, describing them as unacceptable.
The diplomatic crisis between Mexico and Ecuador provides Maduro with an opportunity to deflect attention from accusations of human rights violations against his government. The Venezuelan elections are under scrutiny due to the rejection of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has strong support to defeat Maduro.
The Venezuelan community in Ecuador consists of approximately 500,000 people who migrated to the country after the crisis in Venezuela in 2014. With the withdrawal of consular services, they may not be able to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming presidential elections.
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