Latest news with #Ecuadoran
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
Ecuador deports more than 600 inmates as Colombia cries foul
BOGOTA: Colombian authorities said that Ecuador had deported about 600 Colombian prisoners via a land border crossing, after Bogota protested the action came without prior agreement. "In the morning, 603 people arrived, 60 women and 543 men, and we completed the reception of them" at the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province, Colombia's acting foreign minister Rosa Villavicencio said. Authorities on both sides of the border had previously reported conflicting figures for the number of prisoners deported. The inmates, wearing orange uniforms, waited in line to reenter their home country under the watchful eye of Ecuadoran police and military personnel. Early in the day, some in shorts and t-shirts did exercises while waiting for their turn to cross the border in the chilly Andean air, saying "We want to cross, we want to cross." On Friday, the government in Bogota lodged a formal complaint with Quito, saying such a move without prior agreement was a violation of international law and an "unfriendly gesture." Ecuador's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Bogota was told about the plan on July 8. The mayor of the border town of Ipiales, Amilcar Pantoja, told the media on Friday that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador — some involving Colombian criminals — have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region. — AFP
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Ecuador deports hundreds of Colombian inmates as Bogota cries foul
BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) -- Ecuadoran authorities said Saturday they had deported hundreds of Colombian prisoners via a land border crossing, after Bogota protested that the move came without prior agreement. In 2024, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa announced his intention to deport Colombian inmates to ease overcrowding in the country's prisons. Small groups were transferred starting in April. But Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the move, saying that a joint plan was needed to safeguard the prisoners' rights. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that about 450 Colombians had been deported through the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province. Gov. Diana Pozo had previously told reporters that 800 prisoners had been transported through the crossing. SNAI, the Ecuadoran agency which oversees jails, later said in a statement that more than 700 Colombians were in the process of being deported. "This action reaffirms the Ecuadoran government's commitment to internal security and public order," the statement said. The inmates, wearing orange uniforms, waited in line to reenter their home country under the watchful eye of Ecuadoran police and military personnel. Early in the day, some in shorts and t-shirts did exercises while waiting for their turn to cross the border in the chilly Andean air, saying "We want to cross, we want to cross." On Friday, the government in Bogota lodged a formal complaint with Quito, saying such a move without prior agreement was a violation of international law and an "unfriendly gesture." A source in the Carchi governor's office who spoke to Agence France-presse on condition of anonymity said the mass deportation began on Friday, and the 870 inmates slated for expulsion represented about 60 percent of all Colombians in Ecuador's prisons. Juan Morales, an official in the Colombian town of Ipiales, said that authorities had to scramble to handle the influx of people, because Ecuador had not informed them of the deportations. Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Bogota was told about the plan on July 8. The mayor of the border town of Ipiales, Amilcar Pantoja, told the media on Friday that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador -- some involving Colombian criminals -- have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Ecuador deports hundreds of Colombian inmates amid diplomatic tensions
BOGOTÁ: Ecuadoran authorities deported hundreds of Colombian inmates through the Rumichaca border crossing, prompting objections from Bogota over the lack of prior coordination. The move follows Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa's 2024 announcement to reduce prison overcrowding by deporting foreign inmates. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticised the action, insisting on a joint plan to protect prisoners' rights. The Colombian Foreign Ministry reported around 450 deportations, while Ecuador's SNAI prison agency stated over 700 were in the process of being sent back. 'This action reaffirms the Ecuadoran government's commitment to internal security and public order,' SNAI said in a statement. Deported inmates, dressed in orange uniforms, queued under Ecuadoran police and military supervision. Some, clad in shorts and t-shirts, performed exercises in the cold Andean air while chanting, 'We want to cross, we want to cross.' Bogota filed a formal complaint, calling the unilateral deportation a breach of international law and an 'unfriendly gesture.' A Carchi governor's office source told AFP that 870 inmates, roughly 60% of Colombians in Ecuador's prisons, were slated for expulsion. Juan Morales, an official in Ipiales, Colombia, said authorities were unprepared for the influx, as Ecuador had not notified them. However, Ecuador's foreign ministry claimed Bogota was informed on July 8. Ipiales Mayor Amilcar Pantoja stated that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Ecuador's rising violence, partly fueled by Colombian-linked drug gangs, has pushed its homicide rate from six per 100,000 in 2018 to 38 in 2024.- AFP
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Ecuador Deports Hundreds Of Colombian Inmates As Bogota Cries Foul
Ecuadoran authorities said Saturday they had deported hundreds of Colombian prisoners via a land border crossing, after Bogota protested that the move came without prior agreement. In 2024, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa announced his intention to deport Colombian inmates to ease overcrowding in the country's prisons. Small groups were transferred starting in April. But Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the move, saying that a joint plan was needed to safeguard the prisoners' rights. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that about 450 Colombians had been deported through the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province. Governor Diana Pozo had previously told reporters that 800 prisoners had been transported through the crossing. SNAI, the Ecuadoran agency which oversees jails, later said in a statement that more than 700 Colombians were in the process of being deported. "This action reaffirms the Ecuadoran government's commitment to internal security and public order," the statement said. The inmates, wearing orange uniforms, waited in line to reenter their home country under the watchful eye of Ecuadoran police and military personnel. Early in the day, some in shorts and t-shirts did exercises while waiting for their turn to cross the border in the chilly Andean air, saying "We want to cross, we want to cross." On Friday, the government in Bogota lodged a formal complaint with Quito, saying such a move without prior agreement was a violation of international law and an "unfriendly gesture." A source in the Carchi governor's office who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the mass deportation began on Friday, and the 870 inmates slated for expulsion represented about 60 percent of all Colombians in Ecuador's prisons. Juan Morales, an official in the Colombian town of Ipiales, said that authorities had to scramble to handle the influx of people, because Ecuador had not informed them of the deportations. Ecuador's foreign ministry said Saturday that Bogota was told about the plan on July 8. The mayor of the border town of Ipiales, Amilcar Pantoja, told the media on Friday that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador -- some involving Colombian criminals -- have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region.
Eyewitness News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Colombia protests Ecuador's unilateral deportation of prisoners
BOGOTA - Bogota lodged a protest with Ecuador on Friday for deporting a group of Colombian inmates without prior agreement, in what it called a violation of international law and an "unfriendly gesture" by its neighbor. In a statement, Colombia's foreign ministry said the Ecuadoran government had "unilaterally" initiated a "deportation process" for Colombian nationals, disregarding "respectful and repeated" requests to first establish a formal protocol. "Colombia, using diplomatic channels, has expressed its strongest protest to the Government of Ecuador for this unfriendly gesture toward our country," the statement added. The ministry did not specify how many prisoners were sent back to Colombia, but denounced that under such conditions, their dignified treatment and the "protection of their rights" could not be guaranteed. Earlier this week, local media reported that Ecuador planned to expel around 800 Colombians. Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa announced in 2024 his intention to deport Colombian inmates to ease overcrowding in the country's prisons. In April, small groups began being transferred to the border. Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the move, saying that a joint plan was needed to safeguard the prisoners' rights. The mayor of the border town of Ipiales, Amilcar Pantoja, told the media on Friday that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador -- some involving Colombian criminals -- have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region.
