Ecuador’s jailed former vice president Jorge Glass attempted to take his own life earlier this week and is on hunger strike at the maximum security prison in Guayaquil (southwest) where he is being held to protest his arrest and pretrial detention, the former president said. of the country Rafael Correa and the politician’s advocate Sonia Vera.

Mr. Glass, 54, who has already served two prison terms for corruption and is facing a third trial — he calls the prosecution political, which prosecutors deny — was arrested on Friday in a police raid on his embassy. of Mexico in Quito, where he had sought refuge in December. The police incursion escalated a bilateral diplomatic crisis, prompting the severance of Mexico/Ecuador diplomatic relations and an international outcry.

The former vice president was taken to hospital on Monday after, according to SNAI, the prison service, he became “probably” unwell after refusing to eat. He was returned to prison yesterday Tuesday, according to the same source.

But former President Correa (2007-2017) said via X that we “confirmed” that the reason Jorge Glass was hospitalized was a “suicide attempt,” adding that after he was arrested, “he is on a hunger strike.”

The ex-vice president’s lawyer confirmed this information via WhatsApp.

At the same time, advocate Vera released through X a video in which Mr. Glass refers to his arrest.

Mexico has announced that it is granting political asylum to Jorge Glass. Ecuador called the move “illegal”.

The invasion and arrest led to the height of diplomatic tension between Ecuador and Mexico. It came a day after Quito declared the Mexican ambassador unwelcome and expelled her over “very unfortunate” remarks by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and his government argued that there was a risk of the former vice president fleeing, without further details.

In the video released by his lawyer, Mr. Glass alleged that the police abused him when they arrested him. “I was trying to stand up but I couldn’t because they hit me,” he said.

Ecuadorian police did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The defense of the former vice president announced that it has submitted a request for the release of its principal. The hearing is expected to take place later today, according to criminologist Vera.

Ecuador’s President Noboa, 36, the son of a tycoon, who says he is centre-left but is backed by the right in parliament, is facing an unprecedented wave of violence linked to organized crime and drug trafficking, and has declared the country a state of “war” against of gangs. He presented the police operation at the Mexican embassy as part of the “fight against impunity”.

The invasion of the diplomatic facility caused a strong reaction from the governments of Latin American countries, the USA, the Organization of American States and the UN.