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Ecuador Requests Meeting With Obama On
U.S.-Colombia Military Deal
QUITO - Ecuadorian
Defense Minister Javier Ponce requested on
Tuesday a meeting with U.S. President Barack
Obama on the U.S. military cooperation
agreement signed with Colombia.
Colombia and the United States signed an
agreement on Oct. 30 to boost the United
States' presence by up to 1,400 people
across seven military bases in Colombia to
fight against drug trafficking and
terrorism, a deal that has prompted
objections from Colombia's neighbors.
Neighbors such as Bolivia, Ecuador and
Venezuela have been criticizing the
agreement since it was first discussed in
July.
According to Ponce, the agreement says that
the military base of Planquero in Colombia
"guarantees the operations in all Latin
America."
"I think there is enough reason to talk with
Obama. The problem is that the proposal of
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva did not succeed, possibly it did not
find all the necessary support at that
moment," Ponce said.
During the Summit of the Union of South
American Nations (Unasur) held in Quito in
August this year, Lula proposed the
organization should have a meeting with
Obama for him to explain the range of the
military agreement with Colombia.
"The proposal of President Lula is pending
and I think we have to insist on that,"
Ponce said.
Ponce added that the Ecuadorian government
had concerns on the military agreement, and
urged the defense ministers of the member
countries of Unasur to have an urgent
meeting to analyze the U.S.-Colombia
agreement.
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