Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said on Monday that
his country will ban the entry of Colombian citizens into Ecuador if
Colombian gangs continue their kidnapping of Ecuadorians.
“If Colombia continues (being) incapable of controlling its territory and if Colombian gangs continue kidnapping Ecuadorians, with deep regret we will have to restrict the entry and stay of Colombian citizens in our country,” Correa said.
He said, “We do not have interest in resuming diplomatic ties” with Colombia, which were severed in March after Colombia violated Ecuadorian sovereignty by carrying out a military operation on the Ecuadorian side.
On Saturday, the Ecuadorian government announced that it will file an international lawsuit against Colombia because the latter allegedly refused to cooperate in the release of the kidnapped Ecuadorian Kleber Larriva, brother of Azuay province’s governor, Osvaldo Larriva.
“We will seek the legal way to sue Colombia, because it must answer for that rescue, but it can not control its territory,” Correa said.
The Ecuadorian president added, “The Colombian police were informed of the kidnapping of the Ecuadorian by Colombian criminal gangs, but they told us that they could not take actions because it was a territory controlled by the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.”
“What a shame! … it is not possible that a state can not control all of its territory,” Correa said.
The remarks came only hours after Colombia demanded “respect and impunity” from its southern neighbor and follow an eight month dispute over a Colombian cross border attack on a FARC camp. (Colombia Reports / Xinhua)