Aeromexico suspends flights to Quito – a continuation of the diplomatic dispute between Mexico and Ecuador

Aeromexico will stop flying to Quito this summer and fall – another sign of the growing diplomatic dispute between Mexico and Ecuador over former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas.

Aeromexico ceases operations to Quito, Ecuador (July – December 2024)

From July 1, 2024, to December 18, 2024, Aeromexico will cease daily service between Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) and Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO). The problem is not a lack of demand or security concerns, but a growing dispute between Mexico and Ecuador over a controversial politician and the principle of international norms regarding diplomatic missions abroad.

In late 2017, Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas was sentenced to six years in prison by a criminal court of the National Court of Justice. Glas was found guilty of accepting $13.5 million in bribes as part of the so-called Odebrecht scandal.

In 2022, Glas received Habeas Corpus (the literal meaning of Habeas Corpus is “You should have the body,” meaning that a judge or court should… and must… produce the detained person so that the legality of that person’s detention can be verified).

While in detention, Glas applied for political asylum at the Mexican embassy in Quito in December 2023. Mexico granted him this asylum. However, on April 5, 2024, Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested Glas.

Mexico accuses Ecuador of violating international law by entering the embassy. Ecuador, in turn, accuses the North American country of illegally granting asylum to Glas, who has already been convicted twice for corruption and has been charged with new crimes.

Mexico and Ecuador severed diplomatic relations as a result of the incident and have since stopped processing visas, passports and other documents in the other country.

In solidarity with Mexico, Nicaragua has also suspended diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

Glass remains in custody.

DIPLOMA

Aeromexico will suspend service between Mexico and the UIO starting July 1 for a period of 5.5 months. Without processing visas and other travel documents, travel between the two countries will now require additional air connections and consular services through third countries. Embassies and consulates are not sovereign outposts but are located on foreign soil and remain subject to the sovereignty of the host country, although international norms typically limit the type of blatant interference seen in the Glas case. Aeromexico is now caught between the fronts.