.bmp)
.bmp)
The recent dust-up in the Andes ended with handshakes and abrazos all around after President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia apologized to President Rafael Correa for launching an attack on a guerrilla camp located inside Ecuador. Even Venezuela's volatile Hugo Chávez put on a big grin and eagerly joined in the general conviviality at a summit of Latin American heads of state in Santo Domingo. All's well that ends well? Hardly.Ruffled feathers
The leaders managed to paper over their differences, but it is going to require a lot more than a photo-op to lessen the threat of another round of cross-border violence in this South American tinderbox. The fundamental problem remains the existence of sanctuaries for anti-Colombian rebels inside the borders of both Ecuador and Venezuela. Until all three countries come up with an agreed way to bring their common border regions under control, another flare-up is not only likely, but inevitable.This is the reality that the foreign ministers of the region must address when they meet in Washington today to hear the results of an OAS report on Colombia's intrusion into Ecuador two weeks ago. Violating the sovereignty of a neighboring country is dangerous and ill-advised under any circumstances. Condemning Colombia may soothe ruffled feathers, but it hardly begins to deal with the underlying problem.Colombia has been under siege for some 40 years because of an insurgency led by rebels who engage in cocaine trafficking to keep fighting. They take advantage of Colombia's remote interior regions to hide from government forces. Because of President Uribe's aggressive pursuit, however, they have found it necessary to seek shelter in the wild, largely uncontrolled border regions that Colombia shares with Venezuela and Ecuador. Colombia can't be expected to ignore the cross-border camps forever.President Correa has suspended diplomatic relations with Colombia, but indignation is no substitute for a sound policy that promotes peace along the border. After all, how hard could it have been for Ecuador's soldiers to locate the camp attacked by Colombia if visiting Mexican students reportedly killed in the attack were able to find it?
Apologies to Uribe
As for Mr. Chávez, who claimed credit for restoring peace after some typically bombastic saber-rattling against Colombia, his about-face in Santo Domingo may be because of the discovery of embarrassing information found on computers at the rebel camp in Ecuador. The information is said to confirm that his government and that of Mr. Correa were on friendly terms with the anti-Colombian rebels. If that's the case, perhaps Mr. Uribe of Colombia should be receiving apologies instead of offering them.
As in the days of Noah....
