Mexico is going to appeal to the International Court of Justice to ensure that the guaranteed immunity of its embassy in Bolivia does not get violated by local authorities after the country granted asylum to nine Bolivian officials allied to ousted former President Evo Morales, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Thursday
MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th December, 2019) Mexico is going to appeal to the International Court of Justice to ensure that the guaranteed immunity of its embassy in Bolivia does not get violated by local authorities after the country granted asylum to nine Bolivian officials allied to ousted former President Evo Morales, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Thursday.The Mexican embassy in Bolivia currently hosts nine former Morales officials under claim of asylum, four of whom are wanted at home on charges of sedition and terrorism. On Monday, Mexico voiced concerns over the "excessive presence" of Bolivian security officers near its embassy in La Paz, and their attempts to intimidate diplomats and search their vehicles in actions that amount to violations of the Vienna Convention the document grants immunity to diplomatic premises and personnel.
"Today, we will appeal to the International Court of Justice with regard to the disruption of diplomatic operations. We count on the preservation and respect of the inviolability of the objects [the embassy premises] and people inside," Ebrard said.
The Mexican government's stance is that La Paz's demands bear no legal force, as the officials were granted asylum in Mexico before being indicted in Bolivia.
"On November 15, they were granted asylum, and on [November] 26 we are told that there are warrants against four asylum seekers. Under international law, the right to asylum prevails, especially given that the warrants were issued 11 days later," Ebrard said.
Foreign Minister of Bolivia's interim government Karen Longaric, in the meantime, has said that the immunity of the embassy would be respected and that security officers were only monitoring people who sought asylum in Mexico.
Morales himself requested asylum in Mexico in November after he was forced to resign from his fourth presidential term amid mass public protests in Bolivia. Opposition lawmaker Jeanine Anez has since taken over as interim president, pledging to hold a snap presidential election in mid-March and bar Morales from running in it. Morales is now in exile in Argentina.
