OAS In Renewed Bid To
Effect Resumption of
Ecuador-Colombia Ties
The Secretary-general of
the Organization of
American States (OAS),
Jose Miguel Insulza, met
with Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa
here Wednesday in a
renewed attempt to
persuade him to resume
diplomatic ties with
Colombia.
Insulza is next
scheduled to visit the
Colombian capital Bogotá
o meet with President
Alvaro Uribe.
Ecuadorian President
Rafael Correa (R) meets
with visiting
Organization of American
States (OAS) Secretary
General Jose Miguel
Insulza in Quito, July
30, 2008. Insulza is in
Ecuador on an official
visit to discuss
bilateral relations
between Ecuador and
Colombia.
Ecuadorian President
Rafael Correa (R) meets
with visiting
Organization of American
States (OAS) Secretary
General Jose Miguel
Insulza in Quito, July
30, 2008. Insulza is in
Ecuador on an official
visit to discuss
bilateral relations
between Ecuador and
Colombia.(Xinhua Photo)
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Following his meeting
with Correa, Insulza
said progress had been
made toward overcoming
the bilateral diplomatic
crisis.
Describing the meeting
as "very pleasant",
Insulza said he was
waiting for Colombia's
help to "obtain concrete
results" in the
mediation.
"The scenario is very
different, but still it
needs to improve for a
definite solution
between the two
nations," he said.
Relations between
Ecuador and Colombia
have improved a lot, but
the two sides need to
come closer to resume
diplomatic ties, Insulza
said.
Quito broke off
diplomatic ties with
Bogota on March 3, in
protest against the
violation of its
territorial sovereignty
during a Colombian
military raid on a FARC
camp inside Ecuadorian
territory on March 1.
Ecuadorian political
analysts believe the OAS
supports Colombia, which
has angered Correa.
The OAS did not directly
condemn the Colombian
incursion into
Ecuadorian territory. It
also considered Uribe's
apology as enough
recompense for the act
and dismissed Quito's
demand of stationing
peace troops in the
border region.
In addition, it did not
request Uribe to
withdraw his statement
about Correa having
links with the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC).
On March 17, the OAS
appointed a mission led
by Insulza to negotiate
the resumption of
diplomatic ties between
the two nations.
However, the work of the
OAS was paralyzed on
July 12 when Colombia
indefinitely suspended
the resumption of ties
with Ecuador, in
retaliation against
Correa's earlier
announcements that he
would not resume
diplomatic ties with
Colombia as long as
Uribe remained president
of the country.
Insulza said Quito and
Bogota will have the
final decision on
normalizing ties,
something that looks
unlikely to be achieved
in the short term
considering the deep
divergence between the
two presidents.
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