ICJ Rejects Provisional Measures on Ecuador Over Mexico Embassy Raid

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Facts

  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously found on Thursday that given the present circumstances of the case concerning the Embassy of Mexico in Quito (Mexico v. Ecuador), there is no need to indicate provisional measures.1
  • This comes as, according to ICJ Pres. Nawaf Salam, Quito made legally binding promises in a letter to the court and in public hearings last month that cover the concerns of Mexico.2
  • Mexico had asked the court to declare Ecuador in breach of international law, suspend the country from the UN pending a public apology, and order it to ensure the safety of diplomatic premises and archives.3
  • Both parties have welcomed the ruling, though for different reasons. Ecuador points to the unnecessary nature of preliminary orders, while Mexico celebrates the recognition that the inviolability of diplomatic premises is absolute.4
  • The two Latin American countries have been enmeshed in a diplomatic spat since police broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito on April 5 to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas hours after he was granted political asylum.5
  • They have filed lawsuits against each other at the World Court — for breaching the embassy and illegally granting asylum. Final rulings could take years, and the ICJ has no means to enforce them.6

Sources: 1ICJ, 2Associated Press, 3Dw.Com, 4MercoPress, 5Al Jazeera and 6Reuters.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by CuencaHighLife. Despite the claim that Ecuador has violated international law, it's effectively the other way around. It was Mexico that abused its immunities and privileges to illegitimately grant political asylum and provide refuge to a convicted common criminal. This ICJ ruling asserts that actions taken in Quito were entirely justified and in good faith.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Mexico News Daily. The ICJ has effectively declared that Ecuador must respect Mexico's diplomatic premises, as precautionary measures were rejected simply because Quito had legally committed to comply with them beforehand. When the broader case is resolved, then Ecuador will be held accountable for breaching long-established rules on diplomatic immunity.

Predictions