Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela crisis: 4 March 2008

by rahul | March 4, 2008 at 08:32 am | 81 views | add comment | 0 recommendations

Caracas, Venezuela, 4 March 2008. The Americas crisis continues. It was ignated by Colombia on 1 March 2008 when its military and police forces entered Ecuadorian territory to kill No 2 FARC leader, Raul Reyes, and other guerrilla members. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe lied to his Ecuadorian counterpart by telling him there was a combat and his forces acted in self fefense when killing FARC members in an area near their common border. After in loco investigations, the Ecuadorian military forces found otherwise. Colombia had entered its territory unresquested to launch night air raids 10 kms inside Ecuador and kill FARC members in their sleep. Then, Colombian forces visited the temporary FARC camp and took the dead bodies of two FARC leaders to parade them in Bogotá; the left behind three injured guerrilla women who were rescued by the Ecuadorian army. One of these women is Mexican. There is unconfirmed information another one is the daughter of FARC chief Marulanda. The role played by american bases in the area is still unclear. As the crisis escalated, Venezuela shut off its Embassy in Bogotá and send tanks to the common border with Colombia. Ecuador had sent troops to its Colombian border earlier. As the evidence of its infrigement of International Law emerged, Colombia said both Ecuador and Venezuela had supported FARC which it considers a terrrorist group. New evidence emerge that contact with FARC was done in the frame of humanitarian negotiation lo liberate Colombian hostages. Ecuador unveiled it was very close to acheive liberation of 14 hostages including ailing French Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt. France confirmed Colombian knew of those contancts which also included Spain and Switzerland. According for a FARC communiqué, No 2 FARC leader, Raul Reyes, was negotiating an encounter with Franc President Sarkozy when he was killed. Ecuador called for an urgent meeting of American State Organization (OAS) for today. Ecuador will present a case for the ilegal violation of his sovereignty. Brazil and Chile are working hard for a diplomatic solution to the regional crisis. Quito cut off diplomatic relations with Colombia and Venezuela expelled Colombian Ambassador and staff. US has backed Colombia.

Today, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa visited Lima, Peru, to explain the position of his country and ask for diplomatic support against Colombia. Correa will be visiting four other Latin American countries shortly.

After paying a short visit in Bogotá to just liberated hostage Gloria Polanco, Colombian President Avaro Uribe promised to take Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for financing genocide. The Colombian Venezuelan border has experienced increased control and commerce is disrupted. Petrol is not being sold to Colombians at the Venezuelan side of the border.

More news to come

Sources: Globovision, unionradio, BBC mundo, Caracol, RCN, El Comercio, LATimes, Hoy, El Universal, El Tiempo.ec, Le Figaro, La Hora, El Universo,