GOE PROTESTS ALLEGED GOC INCURSION

UNCLAS QUITO 000258 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREL SNAR PTER EC CO SUBJECT: GOE PROTESTS ALLEGED GOC INCURSION ¶1. (U) Summary: Reports that Colombian military units entered Ecuadorian territory in hot pursuit of FARC irregulars on January 28 prompted vociferous GOE protests. End Summary. Reported Facts -------------- ¶2. (U) According to the press, three Black Hawk helicopters and two Colombian military planes violated Ecuadorian airspace in pursuit of FARC rebels in the border village of El Bermejo, Sucumbios province on January 28. Both sides reportedly exchanged gunfire for 11 hours, causing damage to local property and forcing local residents to flee the area temporarily. The GOE deployed 300 troops on January 29 to investigate the purported incursion. ¶3. (U) The incursion caused nearly 100 residents of the Sucumbios border town of Barranca Bermeja to flee their homes for the nearby village of Santa Rosa. UNHCR reported assisting 91 persons ) 35 adults and 56 children. By late Monday afternoon, all families had returned home, a UNHCR spokesman said. Although media reports spoke of 70 families with 150 children taxing the facilities of tiny Santa Rosa, both UNHCR and International Organization for Migration recorded the number of displaced persons at fewer than 100, most Colombians residing in Ecuador. GOE Reaction -------------- ¶4. (U) Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion issued what he described as an &energetic8 protest of the alleged incursion on January 30 to Colombian Ambassador Carlos Holguin, publicly stating that such actions impede efforts to improve bilateral relations. FM Carrion told the press that while Ecuador and Colombia are aligned against narco-traffickers, this does not authorize the GOC to enter Ecuador at will. Minister of Defense Oswaldo Jarrin on January 30 publicly confirmed the violation of Ecuadorian airspace, while Colombian and Ecuadorian military officials met in San Miguel, Sucumbios to discuss the issue and exchange evidence, per recent bilateral accords. ¶5. (SBU) MOD Jarrin ordered the Ecuadorian Air Force on January 31 to activate the country's air defense system, stating that the measure would allow the GOE to detect further violations of Ecuadorian airspace. But with the system's limited capability and the Ministry's lack of resources, the statement may represent symbolic posturing rather than actual military threat. Bogota Studies Incident -------------- ¶6. (SBU) PolOff met with Colombian DCM Salvador Escobar on January 31 to assess GOC reaction. Mr. Escobar provided a statement made by Colombian VFM Camilo Reyes on January 31, in which he said the GOC is awaiting the results of the investigation to officially respond to the GOE. However, VFM Reyes noted that the two governments are utilizing mechanisms created to deal with such incidents, and that Colombia is fundamentally respectful of Ecuadorian sovereignty, appreciative of GOE cooperation, and hopeful that the two countries would continue efforts to stamp out narco-trafficking and illegal armed group activity. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The GOE,s public posturing on the suspected January 28 incursion is clearly defensive in nature, and we believe an attempt to quickly quell public nationalistic backlash. It is encouraging to see the newly established bilateral mechanism for post-incident consultations work as planned at the operational level in the border zone. We hope the tension can be contained quickly, and not setback recent positive strides in cross-border relations. JEWELL