President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) received a handwritten letter asking for help from Jorge Glas, former vice president of Ecuador who is in a maximum security penitentiary in Guayaquil.
The letter was delivered to the Brazilian head of state in Bogotá last Wednesday (17) by former Colombian president Ernesto Samper, before the bilateral meeting between Lula and Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, at Casa de Nariño.
Glas was arrested in an operation at the Mexican embassy in Quito by Ecuadorian police on April 5. Mexican diplomats ended up attacked by security forces.
The Ecuadorian court considered the arrest illegal and the episode, which violated diplomatic regulations, was repudiated by the international community.
“I'm Jorge Glas, former deputy[-presidente] by Raphael [Correa]. I'm trapped again, help me”, wrote the Ecuadorian politician, who was sentenced to prison for corruption, but was sheltered by the Mexican embassy, which granted him diplomatic asylum.
In the text, written in pencil, Glas also says that “only international pressure can help” and states that he is “in the worst prison in the country and on a hunger strike”.
In an interview with CNN, Samper defined the letter as “desperate” and said that he took advantage of Lula’s visit to personally deliver it to the Brazilian president, with a transcription, since the handwriting is, according to him, “quite illegible”.
Samper says that Lula expressed “a lot of concern” about the invasion of the embassy and was “dismayed” by Glas’ situation. “He expressed to me concern about life and the cry of a person who is in difficulty,” he reported.
When asked about the choice of the Brazilian head of state as recipient of the request, Samper said that “President Lula has undisputed recognition and leadership in the region, his opinions are very heard and I think that's why they turned to him”.
The former Colombian president believes that, given the request, the Brazilian president will activate diplomatic mechanisms or make a statement in the coming days.
At the extraordinary summit of Heads of State of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), last Tuesday (15) to discuss the invasion of the Mexican embassy, Lula defined the episode as “simply unacceptable” and highlighted that what happened It doesn't just affect Mexico, but all countries.
“A formal apology from Ecuador is a first step in the right direction”, emphasized Lula at the virtual summit.
Glas also addressed letters to the presidents of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro.
Source: CNN Brasil
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