Mexico Appeals To UN Court To Settle Bolivian Dispute

The Mexican government announced on Thursday that it is appealing to a United Nations court to settle a dispute between the country and Bolivia.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Bolivia is not respecting diplomatic standards. Earlier this week, the Bolivian government sent about 90 security force members – when there are usually six – to surround the Mexican embassy in La Paz.

"We will file an appeal with the International Court of Justice so that the police and military siege at the Mexican embassy in Bolivia will be suspended," Ebrard tweeted on Thursday morning.

Even during military coups of the 1970s and 1980s, governments respected the independence of embassies, Ebrard said.

In response, Bolivia's Interior Minister Arturo Murillo said that his government would settle the dispute at the International Court of Justice based in The Hague, insinuating that it was the Mexican government that was overstepping.

Tensions have risen since November when Mexico granted political asylum to the former Bolivian president Evo Morales.

The socialist and indigenous politician resigned amid protests over irregularities in the October presidential elections, which would have given him a fourth term as president.

In his place, a conservative politician assumed the position as interim president.

Since then, Mexico granted asylum to nine political allies of Morales. After that, the temporary government in Bolivia issued arrest warrants for four of the nine people.

The Bolivian government demanded on Thursday that Mexico turn over the people with arrest warrants, saying the Mexican embassy in La Paz was guarding "criminals."

The official Twitter account for the Mexican embassy in Bolivia has tweeted out an emergency number that Mexican nationals can use in case of an emergency in the country.

"What is involved here is the integrity of a representation of Mexico. It's our territory," Ebrard said on Thursday about the embassy in Bolivia. "Besides that, [the Bolivian government's actions] puts into question the rights of asylum." -