Latin America: Hotbed of diplomatic strife

The attack on the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador highlights a turbulent panorama in which diplomatic crises and bilateral tensions threaten regional integration

The scenes are unprecedented. A group of 12 heavily armed agents forced their way into the Mexican Embassy in Quito, treated the diplomatic corps roughly and forcibly removed former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum by Mexico. This extreme breach of agreements governing bilateral relations on April 5 has triggered a severe crisis with uncertain repercussions. Mexico has now filed a complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, and seeks a temporary suspension of Ecuador’s membership in the United Nations.

The conflict between Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President Daniel Noboa, his right-wing counterpart in Ecuador, is a significant challenge in Latin America, but it’s not the sole source of diplomatic tensions…