The Press Office of the President of the Republic of Colombia rejects the contradictory statements of the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, who manifested a few positive messages along with other confusing messages to the media in Mexico.
1. President Rafael Correa accepted the suggestion of the Carter Group to aid in the improvement of the relations with Colombia by not issuing any negative statements, and through this Group he sent a positive message to President Álvaro Uribe. His most recent statements in México prove that he is not serious about his commitment with the Carter Group.
2. The Government of Colombia has the moral authority to fight terrorism. It has fought the guerrilla permanently and combated and dismantled the paramilitary groups. Contrary to the history of other Latin American countries, this is not about the struggle of an idealistic rebel group against a dictatorship: it is about a drug-trafficking terrorist group against a comprehensive democracy that provides guarantees.
3. The Government and the Armed Forces of Colombia made six attacks against 'Raúl Reyes' and were in permanent combat against the security forces surrounding this terrorist. President Álvaro Uribe assumed the direct responsibility of the operation and did not blame the Army, confuse the public or mistreat the members of the Armed Forces.
4. The authorities of Colombia have found computers in perfect conditions belonging to terrorists who were killed by the Army during military operations. It suffices to recall the attacks against 'El Negro Acacio', 'Martín Caballero' and 'Carlos Antonio Losada', among others. The confiscation of a computer found in possession of a terrorist has served as proof to bring to justice the relation of politicians with the paramilitary, a situation that has yet to be clarified regarding the guerrilla.
5. The computers confiscated from 'Raúl Reyes' were delivered to INTERPOL in order for the entity to determine the authenticity and integrity of its files. For instance, this information and the cooperation of the Government of Costa Rica allowed finding a safe with $480.000 Dollars belonging to the Farc, in a residence in that country's capital.
6. The Government of Colombia delivered evidence of possible relations between members of the Government of Ecuador and members of the Presidential Campaign of Rafael Correa with members of the terrorist group Farc.
7. The Government of Colombia learned that President Rafael Correa withdrew his authorization to the Army of Ecuador as they were carrying out operations against the Farc in Ecuador.
8. The Government of Ecuador contradicts itself when asserting that it was unaware of the presence of the Farc and 'Raúl Reyes', and on other occasions admitted and manifested that it had contact with the terrorist group in order to achieve a humanitarian agreement. The Government of Ecuador was informed many times of the presence of the Farc in its territory.
9. Colombia, upon the request of the Government of Ecuador, suspended the crop-dusting on illegal crops within a 10 kilometer strip in Colombian territory and replaced it with manual eradication over a year ago. The protests against crop-dusting have always been promoted by the terrorist group Farc.
10. Farc has attacked many citizens and Army members of Colombia from Ecuador. Attacks against innocent Colombians who were working in the manual eradication of illegal crops. We have 40 documented cases on these attacks and on the murder of many soldiers, policemen and civilians since 2004. Last February, the Farc activated landmines from Ecuador, which killed manual eradicators of illegal crops and members of the Armed Forces who were protecting these workers.
11. The Government of Colombia reiterates its rejection to the mitigating circumstance with which President Rafael Correa intended to justify the presence of the Farc in his territory, stating that it was a temporary camp, when it was proven that it was in fact a permanent camp.
12. Any person at a terrorist camp engaged in any activity different from that involved in an authorized humanitarian mission, has committed the crime of aggravated conspiracy with the purpose of terrorism.
13. The Government of Colombia recalls that among the terrorist actions of the Farc, are the kidnapping of Colombian/French citizen Ingrid Betancourt and of the other members of the group of victims; the kidnapping of three American citizens and of 750 Colombians kidnapped in the last ten years, who have not been able to go home. There is also the international participation of the Farc in the kidnapping and murder of Cecilia Cubas, the daughter of the former President of Paraguay, Raúl Cubas, and the recruitment of minors, the mutilation of children with landmines, their financing through drug-trafficking, the placement of bombs in cars as that of Club El Nogal and massacres. All of this is evidence that the Farc is a terrorist group, as has been declared by Canada, the EU and the United States. Violence against democracy is terrorism: it suffices to read the legislation of the UN.
14. The Government of Colombia reiterates its commitment to fulfill the agreements made to the OAS and to the Rio Group. These commitments are to be taken seriously and decisively, just as Colombia is handling its fight against terrorism.
Bogotá D.C., April 13, 2008
