Colombia Wants to Reestablish Relations with Ecuador

Colombian vice president, Angelino Garzón, assured this Friday on Madrid that his country wants to celebrate before the end of the year a formal act to reestablish diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

“We are in a process to normalize the relations with Ecuador, the only thing that we need is the diplomatic formalities”, added Garzón in a press conference during the last day of his stay on Madrid, Spain.

“During the next months we aspire to end the year with the establishment of good diplomatic relations.” Garzón stated.

This news was known last week during the events that risked the legal stability of Ecuador and even the physical integrity of President Correa. Garzón commented that the Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, expressed his contempt to the events that threatened the democratic life and pointed out the legitimate defense of Correa’s Government.

The concern of President Santos points out the importance of good relations between the neighboring countries. Ecuador didn’t have good relations since August 7 when Santos assumed leadership of Colombia.

Meanwhile Santos met with the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez in Santa Marta, Colombia on August 10. During the meeting they reestablished their relations, Chávez showed his support to crush the existence of illegal armed groups of Colombia in Venezuela.

The relations between Ecuador and Colombia deteriorated after the 2008 attack, on which Colombian planes attacked a FARC group on Ecuadorian land, the strike caused the death of the terrorist leader, Raul Reyes. During that time Colombia accused Venezuela of supporting the FARC, and also because of a treaty that Colombia signed with the United Estates, this allowed the Americans to establish a base in their land.