Defense Minister claimed Colombia has only lookout posts at the border
 
Since the 26th. of this past november, Ecuadorian armed forces were aware that Raul Reyes number two man in the FARC hierarchy was present in bases located on Ecuadorian soil.
 
According to Defense Minister Wellington Sandoval, on this date, an Ecuadorian special forces patrol reached the encampment located in Santa Rosa in Yanamuru, Sucumbíos, and verified the fact that irregular forces had abandoned that location minutes before. "There was an exhaustive persecution and Raul Reyes' presence was later confirmed. His personal guard faced the army patrol and fighting went on for several days and nights", he added.
 
This firefight brought about two FARC casualties and four Ecuadorian soldiers wounded. Reyes' security and protection allowed him to escape into Colombian territory according to Sandoval.
 
The Minister claimed that just a few days following this engagement (he did not reveal the date) he reached the site and found as evidence letters signed by Reyes, inscriptions, poetry books and other elements "confirming that he had been in the camp".
 
According to the Secretary of State, the armed forces had the order to take the insurgents as prisioners once their presence on our territory was confirmed.
 
The Minister of Defense admitted they were surprised by Colombia with the air strike perpetrated in the early morning hours of march 1st. He termed the military operative as planned to violate Ecuadorian sovereignty and therefore our neighboring country's government has lost all credibility. In this sense he warned Colombia that the armed forces are willing "to face any situation to maintain sovereignity and our borders unharmed".
 
Meanwhile air force commander general Jorge Gabela said the radar located at the border was inoperative in the early morning hours on saturday because radar tracking is only conducted in the daytime.
 
He justified the fact, and mentioned that one of the reasons for this partial usage is the light shortage at the Lago Agrio base.
 
Military authorities protested because Colombia has but two lookout outposts on the border at Carchi province, while Ecuador has fourteen detachments all along those 720 kilometers shared in common.