GOC LAMENTS INCURSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000308

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS SNAR PTER EC CO
SUBJECT: GOC LAMENTS INCURSION

REF: QUITO 000258

Classified By: POLOFF Jarahn Hillsman, Reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (C) Summary: The GOC on February 2 regretted its
possible accidental violation of Ecuadorian airspace and
reiterated its respect for Ecuadorian sovereignty. The GOE
privately welcomed the conciliatory response, but publicly
called it "insufficient" and slow in coming. Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe reportedly will travel to the
Colombia-Ecuador border on February 6 with members of his
national security council, and is expected to provide
additional comment on the incursion in the afternoon. A
stronger statement by Uribe should allow bilateral relations
to improve over the coming weeks. President Palacio has been
lifted politically by his government's strong but measured
protest of Colombian actions. End Summary.

GOE Discouraged GOC Response
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2. (C) In a diplomatic note sent to the Ecuadorian Embassy
in Bogota on February 2, the GOC apologized for the possible
"accidental" violation of Ecuadorian airspace on January 28
and expressed its respect for Ecuadorian sovereignty. The
note emphasized that the move was not premeditated, and that
the incident, currently under investigation, was provoked by
the FARC,s attempt to enter Ecuador to elude capture. Vice
Foreign Minister Ribadeneira told PolChief that the GOE
considered the GOC note on the incursion as "helpful but
insufficient," criticizing the slow GOC handling of the
incident. He claimed that communication with his counterpart
remains "constant," and that President Uribe had informed
President Palacio of his intention to visit the border area.
Ribadeneira said that the GOE would probably respond to
Bogota's note, then wait a few weeks before re-engaging in
scheduled counter-narcotics talks.

Assertive GOE Response
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3. (U) President Alfredo Palacio, Foreign Minister Francisco
Carrion, Minister of Defense Oswaldo Jarrin, and National
Police Commandant Jose Vinueza on February 1 visited La
Bermeja, Sucumbios, the site of the alleged incursion by
Colombian military aircraft (reftel). During the visit,
Palacio reiterated the GOE,s nonintervention policy in
Colombia,s internal conflict, and insisted that both the GOC
and the FARC respect Ecuadorian territorial integrity.
Palacio,s trip to La Bermeja highlighted recent MOD actions
to increase military presence in this zone, reportedly
including the movement of four Cessna A-37B planes from Manta
to Nueva Loja, Sucumbios provincial capital.

Uribe Statement Anticipated
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4. (U) Local press reported February 6 that Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe would travel to the border town of
Puerto Asis, Putumayo Province with members of his national
security council. Press speculated that Uribe will likely
comment publicly about the incursion. FM Carrion canceled a
pre-scheduled trip to Italy to await official GOC response.

Comment
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5. (C) Barring further incidents on the border, the two
neighbors should be able to return to previous efforts to
strengthen cross-border cooperation. The assertive GOE
response has been a rare boon to the Palacio government
politically, with commentators lauding his personal visit to
the border. The movement of the Cessna A-37B planes to Nueva
Loja was clearly intended to demonstrate GOE resolve. Our
military information suggests that if the GOE were truly
interested in intercepting Colombian aircraft, it would have
moved its Kfir and Mirage planes to the area. Amidst the
nationalistic posturing over the incident, at least a few
clear-eyed Ecuadorians, including Quito mayor and former
general Paco Moncayo, acknowledge the need for GOE to deny
its territory as refuge for the FARC.
JEWELL