Breaking into the embassy! Ecuador's armed conflict, diplomatic turmoil affecting coffee and tourism industries

Recently, the Chinese Embassy in Ecuador issued a notice that the security situation in Ecuador has become grim again recently, with frequent violent crimes in coastal areas, resulting in many casualties. I would like to remind Chinese citizens and institutions to pay attention to personal and property safety, raise their awareness of self-prevention, be careful to go to the coastal areas of Ecuador, and avoid going out alone and at night.

It is understood that the embassy will issue notices because the armed conflict in Ecuador continues and is caught in a diplomatic storm. As early as January this year, the Ecuadorian government will upgrade the security level of the prison, leading to protests by some drug trafficking gangs, a number of drug lords escaping from prison and riots in several prisons, so the country entered a 60-day state of emergency. Then, on January 9, when vicious incidents such as attacks by armed men on public facilities occurred, the President of the country declared a state of "internal armed conflict" in recent days and called on the armed forces and police to combat organized crime nationwide. Then, on 7 March, the President of Ecuador signed an executive order extending the state of emergency for 30 days. Although the presidential palace declared an end to the national state of emergency on 8 April, the state of "internal armed conflict" will continue as there are still armed groups with hostile organizations in the country.

In addition, in addition to the armed conflict, the country is also caught in a diplomatic storm. According to local media reports, former Ecuadorian Vice President Glass has been issued an arrest warrant on suspicion of embezzlement and has been sentenced for corruption, but the Glass entered the Mexican embassy in Ecuador in December last year to seek asylum. Since then, the Mexican government has rejected Ecuadorian requests to enter the embassy and arrest Glass. But on the evening of April 5, Ecuadorian security forces drove an armored vehicle into the Mexican embassy in Ecuador and arrested Glass at the embassy.

The arrest angered the Mexican government, and the Mexican Foreign Minister announced on social media that Mexico immediately severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador because Ecuador blatantly violated the Vienna Convention on diplomatic Relations. Mexican diplomats in Ecuador were harmed as a violation of international law and Mexican sovereignty. The next day, the Nicaraguan government industry announced that it would immediately sever diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

At present, the incident has attracted attention in Latin American society, and international organizations, governments and social teams have condemned the incident one after another. The Organization of American States and a number of countries have expressed their opposition to violations of diplomatic premises and that all States have an obligation to abide by international norms and not to place domestic laws above international regulations. At present, Mexico has challenged Ecuador at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

Moreover, Ecuador's economy depends on oil, bananas, cocoa, coffee exports and tourism, while the diplomatic crisis will reduce trade between countries. Many people in the industry are worried that the current diplomatic situation will affect the competitiveness of Ecuadorian banana, coffee and other agricultural products in the international market, and eventually reduce the export of these agricultural products, affecting the Ecuadorian economy. In addition, the main tourists of the tourism industry are mainly from the United States, Colombia, Peru and Spain, and the current situation will reduce the desire of tourists to travel to Ecuador, thereby reducing the income of the tourism industry. Although the country's coffee is not as well-known as Colombia, Panama and other neighboring countries, Ecuadorian coffee has gradually emerged in the world competition in recent years, and it has also attracted many bean hunters to go there. Now the diplomatic turmoil and internal armed conflict make it dangerous to go there. The Embassy therefore recommends that local citizens and institutions in Ecuador pay close attention to the local situation, be careful to travel to high-risk areas, avoid going out alone and at night, ensure their own safety in the event of a special emergency, call the police and inform the embassy in a timely manner.