Despite the tentative process to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ecuador maintains its international lawsuits against Colombia for the fumigation of drug crops in the border area and the death of a citizen.
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Fander Falconi said Tuesday that, while respecting the independence of powers, the government of President Rafael Correa will not interfere in the case against former Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos for an attack that killed the number two FARC leader Raul Reyes in March 2008.
“We will not renounce the international trials, both those which we took to the International Criminal Court in The Hague [regarding the spraying of drug crops] with glyphosate, and the OAS case at the Inter-American Court. These two cases will have to follow the proper line of justice and international law,” said Falconi.
As for Santos, Falconi said that the “road map” drawn up to normalize relations exclude this and other judicial matters, reported daily magazine Eje 21.
“Colombia does not recognize Ecuadorian extrajudiciality, and we clarify that in our case there are independent functions. Here we are not involving aspects against ex-minister Santos,” Falconi said.
The Ecuadorian justice system is currently reviewing an extradition warrant against Santos for murder committed during the bombing of a FARC encampment within Ecuador’s borders on 1 March 2008, which killed 25 people, including Reyes, an Ecuadorian and four Mexicans.
Falconi highlighted progress made with Colombia’s Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez on 9 October in the Colombian border town of Ipiales and said that Friday’s meeting in the Ecuadorian town of Ibarra, will see the reactivation of the Binational Border Commission (Combifron).
As part of that meeting, Quito will receive information from Bogota regarding FARC camps that extend almost 600 kilometers into Ecuador.
