Ecuador: As a result of a former Ecuadorian Cabinet minister fleeing to Venezuela from Ecuador's capital city of Quito after being found guilty of corruption and seeking refuge with the Argentine ambassador, Argentina and Ecuador are at odds diplomatically.

Due to their differences regarding how Mara Angeles Duarte, who was a member of Rafael Correa's cabinet at the time, was handled, both nations have expelled the other's ambassador.

In order to avoid serving an eight-year corruption sentence, Duarte and her Argentine son have been residing in the Argentine ambassador's home in Quito since August 2020. Duarte received a political asylum request from Argentina, but Ecuador refused to let her travel unharmed.

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On Monday, Argentina informed Ecuador that Duarte was no longer residing in the Quito home and claimed she had left on her own initiative. Later, it came to light that she had left on Friday.

The ambassador of Argentina, Gabriel Fuks, was summoned by Ecuador, which expressed its rage by ordering him to leave the nation. Following suit, Argentina issued an order for the expulsion of Xavier Monge, Ecuador's ambassador to Buenos Aires..

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According to Juan Carlos Holguin, the foreign minister of Ecuador, Argentina "was complicit" in Duarte's escape, he told lawmakers. According to Holgun, there were "inconsistencies" in what Fuks told the Ecuadorian government, which led the administration to believe he could no longer be trusted.

Ecuador was charged with escalating the conflict and "taking it to a level that damages the bilateral relationship," according to Argentina. As a result of the "ineffectiveness of the Ecuadorian authorities," Duarte was able to flee unnoticed, according to the statement. Duarte, according to them, was not a prisoner of their embassy in Quito.

University of British Columbia professor Grace Jaramillo stated that "the two states bear responsibility" for the conflict. The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ecuador "didn't react on time through regular channels" while Argentina "didn't respect due process in Ecuador," according to the spokesperson.

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Professor Juan Francisco Camino of Hemisferios University in Ecuador said he didn't think "this will lead to a rupture in relations."

In Correa's administration, Duarte held a number of positions, including the minister of public works and transportation from 2010 to 2014. In a case involving erroneous campaign contributions, she received an eight-year prison term for bribery.