César Navas: We are not in any negotiation process

Ecuadornews:

The Interior Minister of Ecuador, César Navas, said that the government is analyzing “all the possibilities” to achieve the release of the kidnapped journalism team in the border town of Mataje, but pointed out that the negotiation is not one of them. “I cannot say that we are in any negotiation process.

It is clear, we are analyzing, four scenarios have been opened, “he said Monday, April 9, 2018, during a meeting with the foreign press in Quito. For security did not detail what those scenarios are, but ruled out that any imply an armed incursion that jeopardizes the safety of journalist Javier Ortega, photographer Paúl Rivas and driver Efraín Segarra. “The will of the President (Lenin Moreno) is to exhaust all instances so that the three return and return well to their homes,” said Minister Navas.

On Thursday, April 5, the Head of State affirmed that there are permanent “conversations” with “intermediaries” to know the state in which the group is. This Monday, before the agencies, Navas said that there is a “dialogue” and a “police technical operation”. On this last point, the commander of the Police, Ramiro Mantilla, said that the kidnapping is handled following international protocols and with the direction of the Anti-kidnapping Unit (Unase) of the Police.

According to Mantilla, the priority is to protect the life of the hostages. Specifically, he said that the State has avoided making any demonstration of police and military force. “That will lower the tensions.” The Minister of Defense, Patricio Zambrano, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Fernanda Espinosa, also participated in the meeting with the press.

According to the Foreign Minister, Ecuador maintains a “permanent and firm” dialogue with Colombia, so that “the neighboring country assumes its responsibility for the situation of violence and organized crime that is registered in the border.” Yesterday (Monday, April 9), the Ecuadorian authorities revealed that alias ‘Guacho’, the dissident identified as responsible for the kidnapping, is from Colombia and not Ecuadorian.

The officials insisted that the collaborators of this newspaper would be precisely in Colombia. The government of that nation has denied it. On the possible intervention of a humanitarian agency or an international or Ecuadorian personality, Espinosa said that the proposals are analyzed, but there is no concrete thing. “Mediation is a possible scenario.” All the ministers pointed out that any decision taken in the future will be analyzed and in consensus with the relatives of the victims.

Moreno spoke of the plagiarism Last night, in the space, the president informs, Moreno maintained that the return with life of the three collaborators of this newspaper is “our highest priority”. “We are working on it, deploying all possible and necessary efforts, and considering all the options to achieve that goal.” For the acts of violence on the northern border (the last was an attack on an electric tower in Viche), Moreno said that he formed a team of presidential security advisers with officers of the Armed Forces and the Police in passive service. And that, in addition, created a Security Council that will report directly to the President.

Among its first tasks is the updating of the National Intelligence and Counterintelligence Plan, the National Defense Plan for the northern border and also the so-called Strategic Facilities Security Plan. One measure is to protect at least 27 authorities, prosecutors and judges at the border. Moreno also highlighted the signing of an agreement for national unity and peace with the Ecuadorian Broadcasting Association (AER).

In context 

Javier Ortega, Paúl Rivas and Efraín Segarra, of EL COMERCIO, have been kidnapped for 15 days. From the confirmation of the fact, the Government designated the spokesman to César Navas. On April 3, a video with a proof of life was released by the Colombian press. (I)

Source: http://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/cesarnavas-proceso-negociaciones-periodistas-secuestro.html