Ecuador: Breaking Diplomatic Ties With Colombia · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Ecuadorians are divided regarding the incidents along Ecuador's Northern border with Colombia, when the Colombian army attacked a group of FARC guerrillas, killing a top leader, Raul Reyes.  As a result President Rafael Correa decided to break off diplomatic relations with Colombia. Many agree with the president, but others are asking for more explanations about what's really happening under table when Internal and External Security Minister Coordinator of Ecuador,  Gustavo Larrea has confirmed that he had a meeting with Raul Reyes this past January at a site that was not either Colombian or Ecuadorian.
Cambiemos Ecuador [es] is the medium with more informative updates and written by different reporters and is generating buzz on the web. Alex Anazco, Omar Vargas and Jaime Izurieta had published their opinions about this conflict among Bolivarian countries.
Hay una incubación que se viene gestando en presencia de todos. Me asombra leer que solamente se recrimina lo actuado por el ejercito colombiano, pero prácticamente nadie condena a la vez la invasión de la soberanía nacional por guerrilleros para unos, beligerantes para otros y terroristas para muchos, que cometen horrorosos crimenes. Que el sentido común y la prudencia se antepongan a las bajas pasiones.
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Solo nuestra tibieza e hipocresía en relación al conflicto colombiano, originó tan incomoda situación, que tiene en vilo la estabilidad en la región. Ni siquiera, Chávez fue tan apático. El sí jugó un rol protagónico a favor de las FARC.
There is an incubation that has been brewing in the presence of all. I am amazed to read that there are only complaints about the actions by the Colombian army, but virtually nobody at the same time is condemning the invasion of national sovereignty by guerrillas for some, for others belligerent, and terrorists for many, who commit horrific crimes. Common sense and prudence are coming before low passions.
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Only our luke-warm reaction and hypocrisy in relation to the Colombian conflict, originated such an uncomfortable situation, which creates instability in the region. Even, Chavez was not so apathetic. He did play a protagonistic role in favor of the FARC.
The very well known Cobertura Digital [es], looks for fresh information by following Tweet Scan. This is what Christian Espinosa, wrote in his page:
En Tweet Scan se puede palpar reacciones en el formato de microblogging sin el problema del ruido que genera una serie de sitios que supuestamente son blogs en Google Blogs y nada tienen que hacer en el tema porque no son más que noticias de agencias trasladadas al formato de bitácoras.
In Tweet Scan you can feel the reactions in the format of microblogging without the problem of noise generated by a number of sites which are supposed to be blogs on Google Blogs and have nothing to do in the matter because there are no more than news agencies changed to the blog format
Crónica Cero [es] thinks Correa and Ecuadorians are living a very difficult moment in a crossroads where all nationals are concerned and complain about the humanitarian procedures of those who took down Reyes:
Uno puede decir ese lugar tan común: “los guerrilleros murieron en su ley”. Pero entrar a un país, para llevarse el trofeo (cadáver de Reyes), dejar el resto, e incluso abandonar a los heridos, es algo que merece otro tipo de análisis. ¿Acaso el derecho a la legítima defensa se ejerce en lugares donde no tienes competencia? Eso solo lo puedes hacer cuando tienes la potestad o protección del imperio. Y aquí está claro que Estados Unidos defenderá a su bastión
One can say this common saying: “the guerrillas were killed according to their law.” But to enter another country, to take the trophy (corpse of Reyes), leave the rest, or even abandon the wounded, is something that deserves another kind of analysis. Is the right to self-defense only exercised in places where you have no lawful competence? That's something you can do only when you have the power or protection of the empire. And here it's clear that the United States will defend its stronghold.
El Federalista [es] is a blog we've been quoted before and today has a very different opinion from other his fellow bloggers and says President Correa is not suited for his position and he even thinks of him as a probable country's traitor because of this document:
..La posición del gobierno ecuatoriano es débil internacionalmente. En la práctica, el régimen de Rafael Correa sólo tiene un endeble asidero político, respaldado localmente por una decreciente popularidad e internacionalmente por la coyuntura configurada por un conjunto de intereses internacionales basados en el alto precio del petróleo y los compromisos políticos con el régimen de Caracas.
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¿Está Rafael Correa dispuesto a aceptar los resultados de una investigación internacional e imparcial sobre los documentos encontrados en los computadores de las FARC?
The position of the Ecuadorian government is internationally weak. In the meantime, the regime of Rafael Correa has only a tenuous political hold, backed by a decreasing popularity locally and internationally based on a set of international interests based on the high price of oil and political commitments with the regime of Caracas .
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Is Rafael Correa prepared to accept the results of an international and impartial investigation regarding the documents found on the computers of the FARC?
La Voz de Guamote [es], quotes a source from the Ecuadorian Army and says thousands of troop's elements were placed along the border, in addition to the 11,000 already posted in the Amazon province of Sucumbios:
Ecuador, que mantiene 11.000 soldados en la frontera con Colombia, concentró a 3.200 de ellos en la provincia amazónica de Sucumbíos, escenario de una incursión colombiana contra las FARC que derivó en una crisis diplomática, dijo este lunes el general Luis Garzón.
Ecuador, which maintains 11,000 troops on the border with Colombia, brought together 3,200 of them in the a
Amazon province of Sucumbios, scene of a raid against Colombian FARC that led to a diplomatic crisis, said on Monday General Luis Garzon.
Libros, Autores y Riesgos [es], a blog that usually publishes about literature and books today calls Ecuadorians to take it easy and starts his post saying, relax, relax… and continues:
¿Se le puede creer a un Gobierno cuya cabeza ha demostrado su no interés en resolver el conflicto de manera pacífica? ¿Se puede creer a un Presidente cuyas relaciones con el cartel de Medellín son más que evidentes? Yo no puedo. Y más allá de defender al Gobierno de mi país, es el hecho de entender cómo la política exterior es un juego de criminales. El peso de las consecuencias y la incapacidad de hacer lo necesario. ¿No era más sencillo avisarle al Ejército ecuatoriano sobre la incursión? No, porque no iban a matar a Reyes, sino echarlo.
Can you believe a government whose head hasn't shown any interest in resolving the conflict peacefully? Can you believe a President whose relations with the Medellin cartel are more than obvious? I cannot. And beyond defending the government of my country, the fact of the matter is understand how foreign policy is a game of criminals. The  consequences’ weight and the inability to do what is necessary. Wasn't it easier to tell the Ecuadorian army about the incursion? No, because they wouldn't kill Reyes, but instead throw him out.
One of the Ecuadorians newspapers with online edition and national coverage La Hora, quotes a long post about the international community support to the Ecuadorian cause and quoted from the EFE., among other things they posted:
Una de las reacciones más fuertes fue la del diputado brasileño Florisvaldo Fier, vicepresidente del Parlamento del Mercosur, quien afirmó que Colombia “no es un vecino confiable”.
“La postura del Gobierno colombiano compromete la integración regional”, sobre todo cuando el ataque a las FARC en suelo ecuatoriano ocurrió cuando está planteada para fin de mes una cumbre de la Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR), precisamente en Colombia.
One of the strongest reactions was that one of the Brazilian's Congresswomen Florisvaldo Fier, Vice President of the Mercosur Parliament, who said that Colombia “is not a trusted neighbor,” and “the position of the Colombian government compromises regional integration”, especially when the attack to the FARC in Ecuadorean soil occurred when a summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) was scheduled at the end of the month, specifically in Colombia.
These are the first reactions about the ‘Raul Reyes’ death in Ecuadoran territory which under another circunstances could have been a hard hit to the insurgent organization, the FARC and, a credit to the Colombian government. Now it is difficult to see how this may resolve itself.