Two of the suspects were arrested on Independence Square in Quito, where the residence of the Ecuadorean president is. The detainees were caught with numerous photos of the presidential palace and maps of the square.Ecuadorean Security Minister Gustavo Larrea told Caracol Radio the suspects were carrying weapons, but wasn’t able to say what kind.According to Spanish press agency Efe, one of the Colombians confessed to be of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the Colombian paramilitary organization that officially demobilized in 2007. The Ecuadorean authorities say they are investigating the suspects’ possible ties to armed groups.Larrea said it was ridiculous to think Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is behind the alleged assassination plot. He did not rule out certain people were trying to disturb the efforts of the Ecuadorean and Colombian governments to re-establish diplomatic ties, Ecuador broke off after a Colombian cross-border attack on a FARC camp on March 1.Larrea said he had asked the Colombian government to hand over information about the detainees.The FARC, Colombia’s largest leftist rebel group, had warned three days ago the Colombian government had plans to assassinate Correa and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez.
