Odebrecht fugitive sparks diplomatic clash between Ecuador and Argentina

Despite the expected differences between right- and left-leaning governments, Ecuador and Argentina have gotten along quite well. Less than a year ago, President Alberto Fernández even received his Ecuadorian counterpart, Guillermo Lasso, in a friendly bilateral visit full of smiles and hugs.

This was despite the fact that a rival of Mr. Lasso’s had been hiding in the Argentinian embassy in Quito since 2020. That same year, a court sentenced María de los Ángeles Duarte, a former official in Rafael Correa’s government, to eight years in prison, but the former Ecuadorian minister of public works asked for help from Buenos Aires, arguing that she was a victim of political persecution.

These events took place under the watch of Ecuador’s then President Lenín Moreno, so they were considered water under the bridge by the time Mr. Lasso took office in 2021. But Mr. Lasso’s attitude toward Argentina was much different this week, when the country’s embassy reported that Ms. Duarte had gone missing on the night of March 13, only to be found shortly thereafter in Venezuela.

The Ecuadorian government said there was more to the story, arguing that Argentina helped plan Ms. Duarte’s escape, likely using the immunity of diplomatic vehicles to sneak her out of the building.

In response to the incident, Ecuador’s foreign minister, Juan Carlos Holguín, kicked Argentina’s ambassador, Gabriel Fuks, out of the country and declared him persona non grata.

“Not only is [Ambassador Fuks] an accomplice in Mrs. Duarte’s...