Tensions Continue Between Colombia and Ecuador
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Steven Taylor | Sunday, March 23, 2008 |
Via the BBC: Ecuador warns Colombia over raid
Ecuador President Rafael Correa has warned of diplomatic tension if an Ecuadorean is found among the victims of a Colombian raid inside Ecuador.
Mr Correa said Ecuador would not forgive the murder of Franklin Aisalia, if he had indeed died during the raid on Farc rebels inside Ecuador.
But he said he hoped Colombia would prove this was not the case.
Ecuador has ordered a probe after the man’s family said he died in the raid in which a senior Farc boss was killed.
[...]
“It would be extremely grave if it is proven that a Ecuadorean died,” the president said on Ecuadorean radio. “We will not let this murder go unpunished.”
Correa left the meeting in Santo Domingo over the entire affair with an obvious reluctance to move on. It may well be that the the Aisalia situation is an excuse to find a way to continue to confrontation. However, if the Colombians killed an innocent Ecuadoran that would reignite the crisis in a new guise. At a minimum, it is clear that relations between these two Andean states are hardly warm at the moment.
About the Author: Steven is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Troy University in Alabama. He is the author of the book Voting Amid Violence: Electoral Democracy in Colombia, forthcoming from University of New England Press and the contributing editor on Colombia to the Library of Congress’s Handbook of Latin American Studies. He has his PhD from the University of Texas in Austin and a BA from the University of California at Irvine.
He does most of his blogging at PoliBlog, which he started in February 2003.
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if the Colombians killed an innocent Ecuadoran
It isn't apparent from the article how true the "innocent" part is. If the man was in the FARC camp then he is no innocent, even if he was selling them vegetables. He chose to do business with political bandits. If he was killed elsewhere then there is an issue, but there sure has been a considerable delay from the event to the accusation.
I have never understood the Latin American histrionics.
I would not consider selling vegetables to the FARC a capital offense, to be honest. Still, the circumstances matter, and is the reason the statement that I made was a conditional one.
Insufficient credible information for comment at this time.
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