30/08/09
Correa: responsibility for the Colombian conflict lies solely with the Uribe government

Caracas, 28th Aug. ABN (Manuel Alexis Rodríguez).- Rafael Correa, pro tempore President of the Union of South American Nations, has accused the Colombian government of bearing full responsibility for the Colombian conflict, the existence of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the scourge of drug trafficking, the state being unable to control all its territory.

This statement was made by the President of the Republic of Ecuador during the special meeting of the heads of state and governments in Unasur, which was held Friday last, in Bariloche, Argentina.

"They would like to make people believe that those to blame for the conflict in Colombia are us, its neighbours, countries like Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Panama or Nicaragua: with all due respect, I have to say that that is not true. We, the neighbouring countries, are victims of the Colombian tragedy. We are not accomplices or accessories to it”, he stated.

In the face of accusations made by some Colombian officials concerning alleged complicity of the Ecuadorian government with the FARC, Correa said, “Quite the contrary, Ecuador has shown solidarity to the people of Colombia, and provides shelter in its territory to tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing from the conflict in Colombia.”

"It must be because we don’t go in for drug politics, and even less so for paramilitary politics. And while we don’t expect congratulations or goodwill for that, nor do we expect accusations and aggression like that we are currently experiencing from some Colombian officials”, he pointed out.

Correa said that if one FARC column infiltrates into Ecuador, it is taken to mean that his government is an accomplice of the FARC; it is exactly the same as if a FARC column were to escape from Colombia.

"If because there is a clandestine camp somewhere along the 720 kilometres of frontier, much of it dense forest, this makes the Ecuadorian government into an accomplice of the FARC, there is no government more of an accomplice than that of Colombia. For every camp that infiltrates into Ecuador, there are 200 in Colombian territory”, he explained.

”If for every FARC leader who takes refuge in Ecuador, we are to be considered accomplices”, Correa continued, “then we should remember that for every one of these leaders there are 50 on the loose in Colombia.”

"President Uribe, your arguments do not stand up to the least analysis (…) Don’t look for guilty parties where there aren’t any. Let us seek the truth, get things straight. Don’t look for enemies where there aren’t any. In Ecuador you have a people and a government who are your brothers”, he said.

By: Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, ABN