Relationship dossier
Ecuador
Mexico
Relationship assessment
Ecuador’s raid on Mexico’s embassy in 2024 triggered a severe diplomatic rupture and international legal proceedings.
Ecuador toward Mexico
-75Ecuadorian police entered Mexico’s embassy in Quito on 5 April 2024 and arrested former vice president Jorge Glas, whom Mexico had granted asylum. Ecuador’s action prompted Mexico to sever diplomatic relations and pursue legal proceedings.
Mexico toward Ecuador
-45Mexico granted asylum to former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas, then severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador after Ecuadorian police entered its Quito embassy. Mexico brought the dispute before the International Court of Justice.
Overall relationship
-50The relationship has included diplomatic and economic engagement, but the 2024 embassy raid caused an exceptional bilateral crisis. Ecuador’s forcible entry into Mexican diplomatic premises and Mexico’s subsequent break in relations and legal action have made the relationship substantially adversarial.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations deteriorated sharply in April 2024 after Ecuadorian police entered Mexico’s embassy in Quito to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas, whom Mexico had granted asylum. Mexico broke diplomatic relations and brought a case before the International Court of Justice; Ecuador also filed a case. The embassy raid and resulting legal confrontation have overshadowed the countries’ prior diplomatic and economic engagement.
Areas of tension
- Ecuador’s entry into Mexico’s embassy in Quito to arrest Jorge Glas
- Mexico’s grant of asylum to Jorge Glas
- Disagreement over diplomatic inviolability and asylum
- The severing of diplomatic relations and ensuing legal proceedings
Key developments
Ecuadorian police entered Mexico’s embassy in Quito and arrested former vice president Jorge Glas, whom Mexico had granted asylum.
Mexico severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador following the embassy raid.
Mexico instituted proceedings against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice over the embassy raid.
Ecuador filed a case against Mexico at the International Court of Justice concerning Mexico’s actions and asylum for Jorge Glas.
Major uncertainties
- The timing and conditions for restoring diplomatic relations are unclear.
- The eventual legal and diplomatic consequences of the embassy raid remain uncertain.