Colombia delivers its version of cross-border raid to OAS
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-13 10:13:36   Print

    BOGOTA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Wednesday handed over his government's version of a recent controversial cross-border raid into Ecuador to the Organization of American States (OAS).

    Uribe met Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the OAS, at his presidential house, and they discussed the raid that triggered a severe diplomatic crisis.

    The OAS is a Washington-based pan-American bloc aimed at strengthening regional peace and security.

    Insulza, who is leading a team to investigate the raid, has just completed his fact-finding mission to Ecuador.

    Ecuador broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia after Colombian troops entered Ecuadorian territory on March 1 to attack a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and killed over 20 guerillas, including a top rebel leader. Ecuador called the raid a violation of its territorial sovereignty.

    Venezuela, Colombia's northern neighbor, expelled Colombian diplomats in an expression of solidarity with Ecuador. Both Ecuador and Venezuela had also deployed troops at their respective borders with Colombia at the height of the crisis.

    On March 7, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia agreed to declare the border crisis over at the 20th Rio Group Summit held in the Dominican Republic.

    The OAS's conclusion on the raid will be presented to the OAS foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for March 17 in Washington, the United States.

Editor: An Lu
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