ECUADOR faced a barrage of international condemnation at the weekend after police in the capital Quito broke into the Mexican embassy to arrest former vice-president Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum.

Friday night’s raid prompted Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to break off diplomatic relations with Ecuador, while his Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena warned that the move would be challenged at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Mr Glas, who held office during the third presidential term of leftwinger Rafael Correa, had been living in the embassy since December. He claimed asylum after being indicted on corruption charges and it had been granted hours earlier.