Correa Warns Ecuador Will Respond if Attacked On Its Territory

Correa Warns Ecuador Will Respond if Attacked On Its Territory

The warning of the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, does not rule out the possibility of using military force in the event of another attack by the Colombian army on its territory, as happened in Angostura, and  was highlighted here by the press. The position of Correa in Caracas, Venezuela, was an emphatic rejection to the statements of Colombian presidential candidate, Juan Manuel Santos, former Minister of Defense, during the bombing of the border area of Angostura, on March 1, 2008.

 

In a televised debate with other candidates for president of Colombia, Santos said that he was proud of having made that decision and left open the possibility of a new extraterritorial attack.  Correa expressed "profound pity for those who play as emperors and want to convert Latin America in a new Middle East, but next time find the equator and we will know more and we will be better prepared to defend ourselves."

 

Speaking to the Daily TeleSUR and the Orinoco, Correa recalled that "when we were attacked heavily, the Ecuadorian Army had logistical shortcomings, our radar did not work, our aviation was virtually nonexistent and we had no communications."

 

These weaknesses, he stated, were improving and "still the policy of Ecuador is never do harm.  However, the time has come to focus on defense worthy of the homeland. Next time, if we are bombarded, we'll have to answer."

 

He regretted that despite the apologies of President Alvaro Uribe, now "it occurs to his successors to say these barbaric things" and he warned that "with this class of people in government and seven U.S. bases in Colombia, one imagines the danger to the region."

 

He reiterated the need for clear information on "the most severe bombardment of Latin America, unprecedented, with smart bombs, without any declaration of war against a nation that is considered as a brother and a friend that he considered the government."

Translated from the Portuguese version by:

Lisa KARPOVA

PRAVDA.Ru