The Brazilian government favored Monday the creation of a committee in the Organization of American States (OAS) to investigate the escalating regional crisis between Colombia and Ecuador.
Brazil's Minister of Foreign Relations Celso Amorim said the country's suggestion to solve the impasse, "always keeping in mind it is still a matter in progress," was the creation of an investigating committee and a visit by the OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Inzulza to the scene of the incident.
The crisis has been escalating since Colombian forces destroyed a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuador Saturday, killing some 20 rebels, including Raul Reyes, who was regarded as the guerrillas' second most important leader.
The incident prompted the Ecuadorian government to expel Colombia's ambassador from Quito, its capital city, and withdraw its diplomats in the neighboring country.
Additionally, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa deployed more troops in the border area with Colombia, with support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who also sent tanks to the Venezuelan-Colombian border.
Amorim, who rushed back from a trip to Singapore to hold talks on the issue, described the situation as "very serious," and said it was important to restore harmony on the continent.
The minister said Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made telephone calls to Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa to try to reduce the level of tension between the two countries.
Amorim added that the talks on the impasse should be aimed at preventing similar situations from happening again, and not to punish any of the parties involved.
Source:Xinhua
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