Ecuadorian authorities detained former Vice President Jorge Glas on Friday evening, removing him from the Mexican embassy and leading Mexico to halt bilateral relations.
Glas, who has been convicted of corruption twice, had been staying in the embassy in Quito since December after seeking political asylum, alleging persecution by the attorney general's office.
Police forcibly entered the Mexican embassy in Quito to effect the arrest, according to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's announcement on X.
The Ecuadorean president's office stated in a release that it had apprehended Glas.
Lopez Obrador stated that he had directed Mexico's foreign minister to suspend diplomatic relations with Ecuador, condemning the arrest as a breach of international law and Mexican sovereignty.