Quito, Ecuador. Following the instruction of President Juan Manuel Santos, the Minister of Defense, Luis Carlos Villegas, moved to Ecuador to analyze together with the authorities of that country the situation on the border. In the middle of the kidnapping and murder of three Ecuadorians - two journalists and a driver – various operations were announced so that the Military and Police Forces of both countries could take control of the border area and fight the different threats in that zone, especially the organization led by alias 'Guacho', responsible for this atrocious crime.
Accompanied by the commander of the Military Forces, General Alberto Mejía, the director of the National Police, General Jorge Nieto, and General Alejandro Barrera, Director of Police Intelligence of Colombia, Minister Villegas expressed all the solidarity from the Government of Colombia for this lamentable action in which these Ecuadorians were murdered.
At the end of the meetings with the Ministers of the Interior and Defense of Ecuador, César Navas and Patricio Zambrano, respectively, and also with the military and police commanders of this country, Villegas revealed that "the Colombian Public Force launched at 11 o'clock in the morning this Friday, an operations deployment from Tumaco (Nariño) and from Cali. These operations will be working coordinately with the authorities of Ecuador with helicopters, airplanes and troops of our Armed Forces, to control the border and find those responsible ones for this kidnapping and vile murder. "
The Minister of Defense emphasized that Colombia's cooperation with Ecuador is complete and reiterated that since the beginning of this situation all the necessary has been done in different fields in which our Public Force has extensive experience. In the same way, he reported that the Government of Colombia increased the reward for alias 'Guacho' to $ 400 million pesos, a figure that complements the 100 thousand dollars offered by the Government of Ecuador.
"We have made contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bogotá and in the same way in Quito, to facilitate the return of the bodies to their families," he said. After the humanitarian phase we have to quickly give the bodies to their relatives. "
"On behalf of all Colombians we reiterate that we are still with you, and that our Public Force will be supporting the troops of Ecuador to finally have order in the border we share," Villegas concluded.
Source: Ministry of National Defense
