Ecuador to sue Colombia over herbicide spraying
Ecuador will take Colombia to the International Court at The Hague and to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in a bid to stop Colombia spraying herbicide along their common border, Ecuador's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Colombia's resuming of glyph sate herbicide spraying on Monday, part of a campaign to destroy coca crops, violates an agreement reached by the two countries last month, Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said, noting that the herbicide has been carried into Ecuador by the wind and damaged the environment and the health of Ecuadorians.

He said Ecuador has tried to settle the row diplomatically, but decided to go to international bodies because of Colombia's hostile attitude.

"We are mobilizing our efforts in that direction in line with the guidance established by the president," Espinoza said, adding the Ecuadorian ambassador to Bogota will remain in Quito, where he was recalled for consultation in January.

Colombia resumed herbicide spraying in early December, despite agreements made with Ecuador in 2005 to suspend all spraying 10 km from the shared borders.

The two nations share 586 km of borders, an area frequently crossed by rebel troops. The Colombian government said that the spraying was to prevent rebel groups from receiving funds from the coca crops grown in the area, which is used in the production of cocaine.

They reached an agreement on Jan. 11, allowing the continuation of spraying on the basis that Ecuador receives early warning. It also stated the two should set up a commission on the spraying backed by the Organization of American States, and collect reports from residents in the affected areas.