Some Ecuadorian protestors block vehicles in front of Brazil's ambassy to Ecuador to demonstrate againt Brazil's granting political asylum to ousted Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez, April 21. The Brazilian Foreign Ministry said Sobrinho, Brazil's ambassador to Ecuador was negotiating a possible safe passage for Gutierrez with Ecuador's new leaders.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

A protester carries a poster with the figure of ousted Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez in front of the police guarding the residence of Brazil's ambassador in Quito, Thursday, April 21, 2005. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

    BRASILIA, April 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The asylum granted to ousted Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez is in line with diplomatic tradition and does not imply any intervention in Ecuador's political crisis, a senior Brazilian diplomat said Thursday.

    Sergio Florencio Sobrinho, Brazil's ambassador to Ecuador, said the asylum "does not represent a value judgment or any positive or negative sentiment" on Gutierrez.

    He expressed confidence that the decision to grant asylum to Gutierrez will not cause negative consequences in relations between the two countries.

    The diplomatic asylum in friendly nations such as Brazil and Ecuador is a tradition of his country's diplomacy, said the ambassador. "Our aim is to help Ecuador overcome the political crisis," he told Radio Nacional de Amazonia.

    Earlier, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said Sobrinho, on behalf of the government, was negotiating a possible safe passage for Gutierrez with Ecuador's new leaders.

    If the two sides reach an agreement, the ousted president may fly to Brasilia Thursday aboard a Brazilian air force plane.

    Ecuador has been in turmoil after its congress voted on Wednesday to fire Gutierrez for "abandoning his post" and named Vice President Alfredo Palacio in his place. Palacio was sworn in later Wednesday. Enditem

Ecuador to grant Gutierrez safe passage to Brazil

    QUITO, April 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The government of Ecuador confirmed Thursday it will grant ousted president Lucio Gutierrez a safe passage to Brazil, which has granted him territorial asylum.

    The new Foreign Minister, Antonio Parra, who was sworn in on Thursday, confirmed to a press conference that the Ecuadorian government will grant the safe passage to Gutierrez, in accordance with the International Convention on Political Asylum. Enditem