Argentina and Ecuador collide diplomatic conflict After escaping the embassy of the first country in Quito Maria de los Angeles Duarte, a former minister to Rafael Correa, the main rival of current President Guillermo Lasso. Ecuador demanded the withdrawal of ambassador Gabriel Fucks, and Buenos Aires did much the same for Xavier Monge.
Argentina has regretted “incomprehensible government decision” From Quito to demand the withdrawal of Gabriel Fuks, Argentina’s ambassador to that country. “The Government is surprised and deeply saddened by Ecuador’s decision to escalate the current dispute over the situation of Ms. María de los Ángeles Duarte Pesantes and to bring it to the level of prejudice in bilateral relations,” the Foreign Ministry said. He also reminded that “there is no international standard forcing Argentine diplomatic authorities to detain” about the former minister, who has been in the embassy residence as a political refugee since 2020.
Duarte had been He was sentenced to eight years in prison for bribery. For the courts, he and Correa were part of a criminal structure that demanded bribes of approximately $7.6 million from companies in exchange for contracts with the State. Both rejected the decision and viewed it as an act of political persecution.
Fuks was declared persona non grata. Ecuadorian diplomacy guessed it had “violated”. good faith principle and mutual trust between States”, facilitating Duarte’s escape. Ineffectiveness of the Ecuadorian authoritiesHe escapes the control systems organized by the said authorities around the residence of the Argentine Embassy in Quito and travels through Ecuador, leaving this country and going abroad.
became a former minister taken in Caracas By Oscar Laborde, Ambassador of Argentina. He thanked the government of Alberto Fernández “for protecting me from the persecution of the governments of Lenin Moreno and Guillermo Lasso”.