Buenos Aires [Argentina], April 10: Ecuador's imprisoned former vice president Jorge Glas has been taken to hospital due to health problems.
The 54-year-old was found in his cell on Monday morning with symptoms of a possible circulatory collapse, Ecuador's prison authority SNAI said in a statement. Glas had refused to eat for the preceding 24 hours, the statement said.
The former vice president was then taken to the naval hospital in the harbour city of Guayaquil. He is said to be stable.
Glas had been sentenced to several years in prison for corruption in 2017 and was released early two years ago. Apparently fearing re-arrest, he fled to the Mexican embassy in Quito in December and asked for asylum there.
On Friday, Ecuadorian security personnel forced their way into the embassy and arrested Glas. Mexico subsequently broke off diplomatic relations with Ecuador.
The actions of the government in Quito were also sharply criticized by other countries in the region and Europe.
Ecuador's presidency said Mexico was violating international agreements, and said that Glas was the subject of an arrest warrant for embezzlement that needed to be acted upon and would not be authorized to leave Ecuador.
Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena has accused Mexico of committing a "flagrant and serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" by forcibly entering the Mexican embassy to get Glas.
The news came as Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa on Monday defended the controversial police raid on Friday that led to Glas's arrest.
Glas, who has been accused by Ecuadorian authorities of embezzling government funds meant to help rebuild after a devastating 2016 earthquake, was seeking asylum at the embassy when the raid took place. He was subsequently transferred to the maximum security La Roca prison in Guayaquil.
His defense has rejected the allegations against him and he says he is the subject of political persecution. Glas, who has previously been convicted twice on corruption charges, served under leftist ex-President Rafael Correa between 2013 and 2017.
Mexico reacted to the raid with fury, condemning it as a "flagrant violation of international law" and its sovereignty and has filed a case against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice.
Source: Qatar Tribune
