“This is an attack on our sovereignty and a violation of the principle of non-intervention, framed in Article 19 of the OAS Charter and in international law,” Noboa wrote on his Twitter account following Petro’s statement in defense of Glas.

The Ecuadorian president’s message, in which he cites international law, comes two years after he authorized the raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Glas, an action condemned by several nations.

The Colombian leader called for Glas’s release and recounted that, during a visit to the Galapagos Islands, where he met President Noboa’s family, Petro told him they could hand Glas, also a Colombian citizen, over to him.

In September 2025, the head of state of Colombia granted the former vice president citizenship, and since then, he has made several requests to the Ecuadorian government, a request repeatedly rejected by Noboa.

This latest exchange of statements between the two presidents comes days after a judge denied the habeas corpus petition filed by Glas and his defense team seeking increased food rations and specialized care in the maximum-security prison.

This new confrontation between Noboa and Petro occurs against a backdrop of bilateral tensions following the imposition of tariffs on trade more than two months ago.

jt/jha/avr