The Argentine Foreign Ministry requested this Tuesday, March 14, the retreat of the Ecuadorian ambassador in Buenos Aires, Xavier Mongefollowing considering “incomprehensible” the decision of the Government of Quito to expel the Argentine diplomat in that country, Gabriel Fuchs.
The diplomatic escalation occurred as a result of Maria de los Angeles Duarteformer Minister of Transportation and Public Works during the government of Rafael Correa, ended her two-year stay as an asylum seeker at the national diplomatic headquarters in Ecuador.
“The Argentine Government has taken with surprise and deep sadness the decision of the Government of the Republic of Ecuador to escalate existing disagreement regarding the situation of Ms. María de los Ángeles Duarte Pesantes and bring it to the level of prejudice in the bilateral relationship,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In this context, the San Martín Palace argued: “Therefore regretting the incomprehensible decision of the Ecuadorian Government to request the withdrawal of Ambassador Gabriel Fuks from Ecuador, it has been decided to adopt for our part the same situation with respect to the Ecuadorian Ambassador in Argentina“.
The conflict over former minister María de los Ángeles Duarte
“Beyond the differences revealed following the diplomatic asylum request on the Argentine side, the rejection of the granting of said status and the consequent safe-conduct by the Ecuadorian authorities; It was from public knowledge that Ms. Duarte Pesantes continued to be housed in the Argentine legation“, he pointed out.
In addition, the Foreign Ministry highlighted: “Even though the Ecuadorian authorities were informed in a timely manner as soon as it was possible to verify, only on Monday, March 13, that the aforementioned guest had left the Embassy premises – without consulting or prior notice to any authority of the Argentine Embassy, which was recognized by official communiqués from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility issued that same day-, there is no international standard that obliges the Argentine diplomatic authorities to exercise custody over Ms. Duarte Pesantes“.
“The deep appreciation of the people of Ecuador will not vary with this current situation. However, in no way is it understood that it is intended to attribute to an express action of the Argentine Government that the aforementioned person might, for ineffectiveness of the Ecuadorian authorities, circulate through Ecuador and leave from that country to go abroad, avoiding the control systems established by said authorities around the residence of the Argentine embassy in Quito“, he stressed.
Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified: “The Argentine Government will continue to act within the framework of full respect for applicable international standards and will always be willing to engage in dialogue with the Ecuadorian authorities to find mutually acceptable responses to this situation with the permanent objective of strengthen our relations with the Republic of Ecuador”.
Duarte Pesantes’ stay at the Argentine Embassy in Quito
Duarte Pesantes was with his son, an Argentine national, housed in the residence of the Argentine Embassy in Quito from August 20, 2020 and today he ran away.
In her Twitter account, the former Ecuadorian official thanked Argentina and denounced the governments of Lenín Moreno and Guillermo Lasso.
“I decided to leave the embassy because at deny me the safe-conduct that corresponded to me as a political refugeein accordance with the Caracas convention of 1954 and prevent my safe exit (safe conduct), the Ecuadorian government made me its political hostage. I had to go out at risk, but I exercised the right that assisted me,” he explained on his social networks.
ED
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