Latin American nations have called on Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela to resolve their differences via talks, after a Saturday attack by Colombian forces on FARC rebels in Ecuadorian territory sparked serious diplomatic clashes between Colombia and the other two countries.
The attack killed 21 rebels, including the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a camp 3 km inside Ecuador.
Ecuador withdrew its ambassador to Colombia Sunday, while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered the closure of the country's embassy in Bogota.
On Monday, Ecuador broke off all diplomatic ties with Colombia, and Venezuela expelled the Colombian ambassador.
Colombia has said its attack on the FARC base was in "legitimate self defense," while Ecuador says Colombia did not provide prior information about the attack on the rebels, calling the action "the worst-ever violation of Ecuadorian sovereignty."
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has called a National Security Council meeting to analyze the incursion. The council includes the nation's defense and security ministers, who visited the scene of the incursion with army generals on Sunday.
Colombia's main left-wing party, the Alternative Democratic Pole, said Monday it would send missions to Ecuador and Venezuela to seek a peaceful end to the crisis.
Meanwhile, Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said the nation will lodge a complaint against "violation of member states' national sovereignty" at a Tuesday meeting of the Organization of American States.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon formally offered Monday to help in whatever way necessary to rebuild the relationship between Colombia and Ecuador.
"The Mexican government respectfully urged the nations involved to use the relevant regional mechanisms and bodies for further dialogue," said a statement issued by Calderon's office.
A senior advisor to Brazil's President Luiz Inacio da Silva told Brazilian media that the nation was already taking steps aimed at helping defuse the diplomatic crisis.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias described Colombia's incursion as "a regrettable violation of Ecuadorian sovereignty, which could hold back the process of freeing FARC hostages."
Chile's President Michelle Bachelet has described the incident as regrettable, adding that international borders are fixed by international agreements, and that they cannot be violated for any reason, legitimate or otherwise.
She said she expressed Chile's concern over the matter to President Correa over the telephone Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry has issued a statement calling on the governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela to resolve and overcome their current differences through talks. It also called on Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to meet on the issue.
The Peruvian president, Alan Garcia, said the Colombian incursion was "unacceptable" and called on the Organization of American States to clarify which anti-terror measures are appropriate.
Fidel Castro, who was officially leader of Cuba until nine days ago, blamed the United States for the incident. He also said that Correa has formally decided not to attend Cuba's conference on globalization, which begins Monday in Havana.
Source:Xinhua
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