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Ecuador has formally approached Mexico to arrest former Vice-President Jorge Glas, currently seeking asylum within the Mexican Embassy in Quito, for his alleged involvement in corruption.

The Ecuadorean Foreign Ministry, utilizing diplomatic channels, has requested permission for law enforcement to apprehend Glas following an order from the National Court of Justice of Ecuador. Glas, who claims political persecution by the attorney general’s office, sought asylum in December. In a statement, the foreign ministry’s office said, “We confirm that the Foreign Ministry, through a diplomatic channel, has requested the permission of the Embassy of Mexico so law enforcement can comply with an order by the National Court of Justice of Ecuador to capture Jorge David Glas Espinel, who is inside that diplomatic mission.”

Glas, who served as vice president from 2013 to 2017 under Rafael Correa, has been residing in the embassy since December. His legal troubles escalated in January when a judge mandated his detention on charges related to the misappropriation of funds designated for the reconstruction of Manabi province after a 2016 earthquake. Despite losing an appeal in February, Glas’s attorney, Edison Loiza, has voiced concerns over Glas’s safety if he were to return to prison, emphasizing the potential risk to his life.

Previously convicted twice, Glas received a six-year sentence in 2017 for accepting bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for government contracts and another eight-year sentence in 2020, alongside Correa, for financing political campaigns with contractor money. Having served five years of his sentence, Glas was last released in November 2022.