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Top Ecuador defence chiefs 'quit'

Apr 09 2008

Top Ecuador defence chiefs 'quit'

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By Agencies

Colombia's raid on a Farc camp in Ecuador killed senior leader Reyes, centre [AFP]
Four of Ecuador's senior defence chiefs have quit or been asked to resign after the president, Rafael Correa, said the country's security forces were controlled by US intelligence.

Wellington Sandoval, Ecuador's defence chief, resigned on Wednesday and the army commander and head of the joint chiefs of command also said they would quit.

"We have sent the president our resignation ... because of the questioning of the behaviour of the military and I don't agree with that," General Guillermo Vasconez, the army commander, told reporters.

The head of the national police force was also asked to resign, local reports said.

Sandoval's replacement, Javier Ponce, will probably be sworn in later on Wednesday, reports said.

'Foreign powers' claim

Correa alleged last week that Ecuador's intelligence services were infiltrated and controlled by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and said they should be investigated for disloyalty.

"We are putting a stop to that and will make sure Ecuadorean intelligence services ... don't work for foreign powers, and, through them, for those who attack our country," he said last week.

Senior military leaders had requested a meeting with Correa to discuss his demand that Ecuador's intelligence services be investigated for disloyalty.

The armed forces command said it wanted a meeting in order to "maintain a direct and transparent dialogue" and "avoid putting at risk the nation's security and stability".

Raid controversy

Correa was also apparently angered that Ecuador's military intelligence apparently advised Colombian officials, but not him, about an Ecuadorean man's contacts with Colombia's Farc rebel group.

The man died in a controversial cross-border raid on a camp run by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) in Ecuador on March 1 that also killed Raul Reyes, a senior Farc leader, and several others.

The attack led to both Ecuador and ally Venezuela breaking diplomatic relations with Colombia, a key US ally, and sending troops to their Colombia borders.

Sandoval is said to have made recent statements apparently contradicting Correa's policies towards Colombia.

After the raid, he said the army planned to send reinforcements to the border to keep out rebels, however Correa had said Colombia should be responsible for keeping the rebels from crossing into Ecuador.