Colombia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jaime Bermúdez said Thursday that his department and the Ministry of Defense agree on border security.
Recently, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos defended the attacks on terrorists on non-Colombian soil, which led to angry reactions from Venezuela and Ecuador and forced President Álvaro Uribe to correct his Defense Minister. The President confirmed Colombia would not again attack an armed group outside its borders without consulting the concerned Government.
Following the apparent disagreement between Santos and Uribe, the military top demanded a security council meeting to define what is and what is not allowed when dealing with armed groups that operate from outside the Colombian border. Uribe turned down the request, expressed his support for Santos and sent Bermúdez to talk to the military chiefs instead.
After a 90-minute meeting with representatives of the Defense department, Bermúdez said that the conversation had been very important for the coordination of common subjects.
“It is fundamental to act in a coordinated manner and we are ready to work together in order to have an integral policy,” he said.
The Foreign Affairs minister went on to stress that the two departments agree on these matters, and that his request had caused no anger among the militaries.