New Delhi, March 5 -- Ecuador declared Cuba's ambassador, Basilio Antonio Gutierrez, and his diplomatic staff "persona non grata" on Wednesday and gave them 48 hours to leave the South American country.

Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the measure was adopted within the framework of international diplomatic law, but didn't say why they were forcing the diplomats to leave. The Vienna Convention allows countries to declare diplomatic personnel a persona non grata without explanation.

Shortly after the announcement, a man could be seen on the roof of the Cuban Embassy in Quito burning a bag of papers in a oven. The burning was witnessed by the Associated Press and later posted in a video on social media by Ecu...