Ecuador on Monday announced that it will continue investigations into Colombian security agency DAS’s alleged spying on Ecuadorean government officials, despite a denial by President Alvaro Uribe.
Ecuadorean Security Minister Miguel Carvajal acknowledged that the statements of denial issued by Uribe and his Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez were “important” but said “this does not mean investigations will be brought to an end.”
“Colombia’s declaration is important, but if it had been satisfactory we would not be requesting more information,” Carvajal explained.
The case drew media attention following a report published in the Ecuadorean newspaper El Universo at the end of June, in which a Colombian intelligence agent claimed that security agency DAS was involved in the wiretapping of various Ecuadorean officials, including President Rafael Correa.
Last week, Uribe vehemently denied that DAS spied on Correa. Uribe, speaking live on Colombian TV and radio, said that he had met with his foreign minister, defense minister, and the director of DAS, Felipe Muñoz, to discuss the allegations. According to Uribe, “DAS has never carried out any of the denounced allegations against the president of Ecuador, Dr. Rafael Correa.”