Ecuador’s imprisoned former vice president is currently on a hunger strike to protest his arrest.
Jorge Glas, who was convicted twice on corruption charges, faces new charges after a police raid last week on the Mexican Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, resulted in his arrest.
"We have finally made contact with Jorge, who is on a hunger strike," his lawyer, Sonia Vera, said Wednesday on social media platform X.
Glas was taken to the hospital on Monday after refusing to eat and becoming ill. He was discharged Tuesday and returned to prison.
Ecuador’s government said it has evidence that Glas was planning to escape, having lived in the embassy since December. Tensions have been growing between Mexico and Ecuador since the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador allowed Glas to take refuge there.
According to The New York Times, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa defended the decision to detain Glas, citing the growing security crisis in the country. He noted that Glas’ arrest was reflective of his hard stance on criminals.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has also stoked animosity between the two countries by questioning the legitimacy of Ecuador’s presidential election.
During Lopez Obrador's daily press conference on Tuesday, footage broadcast from inside the embassy revealed a door being forcefully opened and a figure, who appeared to be Glas, being carried out by either police or soldiers.
In a video circulated by his attorney, Glas alleged he was subjected to mistreatment by the police during his arrest.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
