Ecuador apologizes

Ecuadorian Government speaker Enrique Proaño offered apologies to Venezuela for involving President Hugo Chávez in an uprising of indigenous people and peasants, resulting in Caracas reaction, Venezuelan ambassador to Quito Oscar Navas reported.

The diplomat told Radio Quito that he received on Wednesday a letter from Communication Secretary Proaño, whereby he apologized for his remarks. Therefore, Venezuela considered the problem overcome.

"What we do demand from the Ecuadorian Government is to take out Venezuela of the debate. We are not meddling in internal affairs. Our big trouble with the United States is its interference in a coup attempt against President Chávez," Navas declared.

He added that the Ecuadorian official explained that there was confusion in the questions made by reporters. "We rely on the good faith of such a high-ranking official of the Ecuadorian government."

On Wednesday, Proaño complained about foreign infiltration in ongoing protests in Ecuador against a FTA with the United States and hinted involvement of President Chávez.

Quick Access to:

On the Cover

IISS: The FARC financed Chávez before 1999

10:07 AM. DIPLOMACY. Admired by the Colombian guerrilla after his coup attempt in 1992, the then lieutenant colonel Hugo Chávez Frías received financial support by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) for his projects after his capture that year. This mostly explains the relationship and "debt" between the parties, as revealed by a paper of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) of the United Kingdom.