The Foreign Ministers of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved last Friday a resolution supporting the inviolability of diplomatic premises, in accordance with the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in the context of the situation created between Ecuador and the United Kingdom.
Britain said it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there.
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said that Britain's failure to extradite former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet more than a decade ago means it has no right to lecture others over the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
By Sean Burges (*) Is Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa really saying that we cannot trust the judicial systems in Britain and Sweden? By granting Julian Assange asylum, he has implicitly stated the British judicial process is flawed and that Sweden is a slavish servant of the US government.
Less than a year ago an Ecuadorean judge denied a request to extradite Aliaksandr Barankov to Belarus, the former Soviet bloc nation whose president has been nicknamed Europe's last dictator, reports the US and European media.
Ecuador said on Wednesday the British government had threatened to raid its embassy in London if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not handed over, and that Quito would make its decision on his asylum request on Thursday.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) described as “contrary to the principles of freedom of expression and press freedom” an order by the Government of Ecuador to withdraw official advertising from independent news media.
Ecuador's Foreign minister said on Wednesday there will be no decision until after the Summer Olympics on the political exile request of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
An urgent summit of the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, will address the crisis in Paraguay following the removal of President Fernando Lugo, this coming Wednesday in Peru, announced Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, although there has been no official confirmation from Lima.
Ecuadorean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño called on Wednesday for an end to the remains of colonialism and specifically mentioned the Falklands/Malvinas, Puerto Rico and the US Guantanamo base in Cuba.