Ecuador removes envoy under fire

"The ambassador has already embarked to Ecuador and is ending his mission in the country," Ecuador's Foreign Minister Patricio Zuquilanda told Argentina's Radio Rivadavia.

The decision to remove Molina, a lieutenant-colonel, was taken by Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez, to whom Zuquilanda reported the case after Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa called him on the telephone.

Foreign Minister Bielsa, who is a great friend of mine, called me to express his enormous concern about the case in Argentina, and I immediately informed President Lucio Gutierrez in detail, Zuquilanda said.

This has been a purely personal, private attitude by Mr. Ambassador and has nothing to do with any special mission or political attitudes or any interference in the domestic affairs of Argentina, which we absolutely respect, he said, adding that the incident in no way can affect bilateral ties.

The case came to light after Bielsa received an anonymous fax telling him that Molina used his diplomatic car to take Suarez Mason to a party to celebrate Suarez Mason's 80th birthday on January 23, something which Molina denied having done.

However, Molina admitted to having personally handed over two bottles of wine which a common friend was sending Suarez Mason.

Suarez Mason, who lives in downtown Buenos Aires, denied having violated house arrest conditions.

Now he lost his house arrest and is in jail.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald