Ecuador President Rafael Correa received US$400 thousand from Colombia's largest rebel group the FARC, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Saturday after comparing e-mails by rebel commander Raul Reyes with money transfers to Correa's election campaign.
The newspaper writes that in one message by Reyes, found on his computer, the FARC commander "announces in October 2006 the support of 400 thousand dollars. This figure coincides with the amounts deposited on these dates into the bank account of Alianza Pais, the party of the then candidate Correa and with the expenses of the campaign that never were clarified before electoral authorities."
According to the newspaper, everything indicates that there had been contact between the FARC and someone close to Correa, despite Correa's denial.
Ecuador and Colombia have had strained relations since the March 1 attack on the camp of Raul Reyes in Ecuador and since Colombia, basing its allegations on computers that it says it found in the camp, began accusing Correa of having received FARC support.
