Ecuador Asks Colombia For
Info On Alleged Spying On Ecuadorian
President
QUITO - Ecuador on Wednesday pressed
Colombia for information about alleged
telephone espionage by Colombian secret
service against Ecuadorian President Rafael
Correa.
"We have sent a note requesting information
about that," said Ecuadorian Foreign
Minister Ricardo Patino.
Ecuadorian press earlier said that
Colombia's Administrative Department of
Security (DAS), the secret service,
intercepted Correa's phone calls with
Ecuadorian military officers, politicians
and businessmen in 2008 after Ecuador cut
off ties with Colombia to protest Colombian
troops' cross-border attack against a rebel
group.
Patino said he has so far not been able to
speak with his Colombian counterpart Jaime
Bermudez about the issue.
The Colombian government said on Wednesday
it had not spied on Correa, adding that it
believed diplomatic ties with Ecuador would
be restored soon.
"Neither the secret service nor other
intelligence organizations of Colombia have
done anything against President Correa,"
said Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel
Silva. "Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and
Director of the Administrative Department of
Security have also denied it."
Correa said Tuesday he would sever ties
again with Colombia if the spying against
him is confirmed.
Ecuador severed ties with Colombia in March
2008, after the Colombian Army carried out a
raid against an illegal camp of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
in Ecuadorian territory. Diplomatic
relations between the two countries were
partially restored at the level of trade in
November 2009. |
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