The reaction of Colombia's former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos to the warrant for his arrest by an Ecuadorean judge is disproportionate, Ecuadorean Defense Minister Javier Ponce said Tuesday.
Ponce considers this reaction "absolutely disproportionate" and told journalists that the arrest warrant only is for one person and part of the investigation to establish Santos' personal responsibility in the March 1, 2008 cross border attack on a FARC camp.
The Minister said the arrest warrant shouldn't be interpreted as an act of aggression against Colombia, but a judicial act against individual criminal suspects.
Government Minister Gustavo Jalkh did not rule out the arrest warrant will be turned into an extradition request or an international arrest warrant, but that this is upto the court.
An Ecuadorean judge Monday ordered the arrest of Santos as part of an ongoing investigation into his alleged personal criminal responsibility for the attack on a FARC camp that killed the guerrillas' number two, Raul Reyes, and 25 others. Ecuador's leftist government cut ties with Colombia's conservative government after that. Attempts to restore relations failed so far.
- 07/01/2009 10:06 - Doctors refuse to perform abortion on 13-year old rape victim
- 07/01/2009 10:05 - More displaced arrive in North Antioquian town
- 07/01/2009 08:47 - Operation Checkmate hostages return to liberation point
- 07/01/2009 07:39 - Grenade attack kills one in Bogota
- 07/01/2009 07:27 - FARC kill six soldiers in east Colombia
- 07/01/2009 07:21 - Coast guard seizes 200 tons of cocaine
