Per Article 22 of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable. Unless you’re Israel, which bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1. And unless you’re Ecuador, which invaded the Mexican embassy in Quito four days later.

Around 10 p.m. on the night of Friday, April 5, heavily armed police on the orders of President Daniel Noboa stormed the Mexican embassy, located across from the Olympic Stadium in the city’s downtown. After subduing chief of mission Roberto Canseco — who heroically continued to defend the building despite being greatly outnumbered — the invading forces proceeded to capture their target: former vice president Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum that very day.

With Glas kidnapped and a still-struggling Canseco wrestled to the ground outside of the embassy gate, the police finally withdrew, leaving the grounds in the custody of a retinue of soldiers and international law in tatters. How did we get here?