Following the announcement Colombia and the U.S. closed a deal
allowing the U.S. to increase its military presence in the Andean
Country, President Alvaro Uribe Friday called on neighbors Venezuela and Ecuador to talk.
Uribe, speaking in Medellin, apologized for the breach of Ecuador’s sovereignty in March 2008 when the Colombian army attacked a FARC camp in Ecuadorean territory killing 25 guerrillas and the FARC’s number two, Raul Reyes.
“Concerning the issue of our incursion into the Ecuadorean jungle and the bombing against Reyes, I ask them forgiveness for that,” the President said, adding the deal with the U.S. is only to fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.
“Our objective is making an end to terrorism: this is the bandit. Ecuador and Venezuela are our brothers,” Uribe said.
The Colombian Head of State said his country can reach similar military deals with both Ecuador and Venezuela and called on the Presidents of those countries, Rafael Correa and Hugo Chavez, to work together in the fight against terrorism.
Ecuador and Venezuela have rejected the U.S.-military cooperation and say they consider it a threat to their sovereignty.