Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC on Tuesday denied having financially
supported the election campaign of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa
in 2006.
“We categorically deny having given money to any election campaign of any neighboring country,” the FARC said in a statement sent to Colombia News Agency ANNCOL.
The guerrillas called the video, wherein rebel commander ‘Mono Jojoy’ confirms that the FARC gave money to the 2006 campaign of Ecuadorean President Correa, a “smokescreen” manipulated by Washington and Bogota. The material was taken out of context to attack Correa, the FARC added.
The Ecuadorean President always denied having received any contribution and had asked the FARC to verify the video. “I ask the FARC directly, publicly to say if the video is real or no,
to say if they supported the campaign of Rafael Correa and say to whom
they gave this money,” Correa said one week ago.
The video has worsened the already strained relations between Colombia
and Ecuador and has put the Ecuadorean government in a
difficult position. The Organization of American States and
international police organization Interpol are currently investigating the tape.