On Sunday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, thanked the governments of Venezuela and Ecuador for the humanitarian aid and equipment sent to the country he leads for the emergency there this winter due to heavy rains that have affected that region in recent months.

Venezuela sent two pumps on Saturday to counter the damage caused by the rains in the capital of the neighboring country, which have left 283 people dead, 68 missing and over 2.1 million people affected.

The Ecuadorian government sent 32 tons of humanitarian aid including food rations, water storage tanks, tents, mattresses and blankets.

Through his Twitter account, Santos wrote: “We appreciate the valuable aid sent by Venezuela and Ecuador for the winter emergency.”

Floods caused by the rainy season in Colombia, which began in September during La Niña and will run through the first weeks of January 2012, have affected  17 Colombian regions that were declared to be in states of emergency.

AVN / Press-Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. / December 19, 2011.