Ecuador To Repel
Colombian Guerrillas
Quito - Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa
on Wednesday authorized
armed forces at the
country's northern
border to repel any
attacks from Colombian
guerrilla groups.
Ecuador will deploy
7,000 soldiers and 2,000
policemen to guard the
northern border with
Colombia, Correa said.
"Ecuadorians are paying
a very heavy price" for
the war between the
Colombian government and
guerilla groups... which
is not our conflict," he
added.
"Seven Ecuadorian
soldiers have died in
this conflict and one
soldier lost his leg...
The Colombian government
must control its
territory," he said.
"We will answer with all
any incursion of
Colombian paramilitary
groups," Correa said.
Correa also decried
Colombia's lack of
patrolling at its
southern border with
Ecuador.
Defense Minister Javier
Ponce said Ecuador will
repel all armed groups
from Colombia, not just
rebels from the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC),
the country's oldest
guerrilla outfit. |
