U.S. Says To Respect Regional
Sovereignty In Use Of Colombian Bases
QUITO - Visiting United States Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday reassured
Ecuador that the U.S. use of Colombian bases
would help fight drug trafficking and
guerrillas, and would not threaten the
regional territorial integrity.
"The United States with pride has helped
Colombia combat the drug trafficking and the
guerrillas, but we respect the territorial
integrity of all the countries in the
region," Clinton said at a joint press
conference with Ecuadorian President Rafael
Correa.
Colombia and the United States signed a
military agreement on Oct. 30, last year
that allows the presence of U.S. troops in
at least seven Colombian bases to fight drug
trafficking and guerrillas in the South
American country. The move has sparked a
string of rejections from Ecuador, Venezuela
and Bolivia.
Clinton said her country "has given and will
continue to give information about the use
of the bases..."
Correa, who holds the current rotating
presidency of the Union of South American
Nations (Unasur), said "those bases are
Colombian, and the limit of U.S. troops is
perfectly defined."
"We do not need to hide it, it is an issue
that worries Ecuador and most of the
countries of the Unasur," Correa said at the
press conference.
"There are reasons for not trusting, we have
talked and we have decided that the best way
to face together this situation is talking
openly, continuing with the dialogue."
Clinton arrived in Ecuador in the company of
Assistant Secretary of State for the Western
Hemisphere Arturo Valenzuela on a tour to
Latin America, which experts said attempts
to send a signal of interest and attention
from the U.S. to the region.
The visit shows the U.S. government's
political will to strengthen the "friendly"
ties between both countries and boost mutual
understanding, Ecuadorian former
presidential candidate Marco Proalo Maya
told Xinhua Tuesday.
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