Previous Story
Armed Forces lead operations in border area
Posted On 27 Feb 2018
Ecuadornews:
Ministries of the Interior and Defense sign a single command decree to strengthen security and combat the presence of irregular groups or insurgents. In the zone of influence of the northern border there are irregular armed groups trying to solve the drug trade, Defense Minister Patricio Zambrano Restrepo said yesterday in an interview on Telerama.
These factions have the task of protecting the plantations and taking out the alkaloid they produce in neighboring Colombia, he said. “Our job is to verify that in the national territory there are no plantations and that it is not occupied as a step for the export of the drug,” he said.
The job of the Armed Forces and National Police is professional in the border area. While there were clashes, it is because the crime that is on the other side feels harassed, the official said. “The people who are involved in these events, at some point were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) and when the peace agreement was signed, they became guerrillas again.
They protect their income as a result of their illicit activities, “said the Secretary of State. In the presence of these small insurgent groups, the Colombian State was asked to share responsibility for border security, he added. “Colombia must have a presence on the northern border, which will allow Colombian brothers to have access to basic services,” he said.
He also indicated that the car bomb attack in San Lorenzo, Esmeraldas, is related to the two soldiers wounded in a confrontation aired on February 20 in the sector of El Pan, on the border with Colombia.
On that occasion he pointed out that the incident happened when the Ecuadorian military patrolling the border was attacked by surprise by those who were guarding a coca plantation on the side of the neighboring country. He pointed out that the work carried out by the military as police “is so strong that criminals see their interests affected”.
Military and police presence
Zambrano said that the Armed Forces along with police personnel guard the northern border area. He also referred to the decree signed by the Ministries of Defense and Interior, whereby a single command is given to the Armed Forces, which will lead all operations in the northern border.
Regarding the case of the attack, he said that the Prosecutor’s Office is following the investigation to find the perpetrators of the events that took place in San Lorenzo. The Attorney General of the State, Carlos Baca, explained that these data will be analyzed and processed in law to determine the legal actions that will be followed by the explosion that took place in the Police Headquarters in San Lorenzo.
After his visit to Colombia, he reported that on February 22 and 23, during his stay in that country, they received information from the prosecutor’s office regarding FARC assets presumably in Ecuador.
Common border in security
For the president of the Assembly, José Serrano, the collaboration of Ecuador and Colombia in the common border in security and the fight against drug trafficking must include human and economic development, because “it is not only about eradicating crops” from Coke. This was declared in Panama by the EFE agency.
Criminality
Bi-national meeting
In Quito, the binational meeting between Ecuador and Italy on organized crime, corruption and terrorism will take place. This activity will be attended by the Attorney General Anti Mafia of Italy, Pier Luigi Dell’Osso.
The Ecuadorian Public Prosecutor’s Office will work for 2 days on organized crime issues. The conclusions will be vital. Luigi Dell’osso is in the country The antimafia prosecutor, Pier Luigi María Dell’Osso, works against the mafia and organized crime in Italy. (I)
