Original article: Petro denuncia hallazgo de una bomba y posible bombardeo desde Ecuador: “No queremos ir a una guerra”
The political and commercial tensions between Bogotá and Quito are escalating after Colombian President Gustavo Petro reported the discovery of a bomb «dropped from a plane» near the border with Ecuador. This allegation raises suspicions of a potential aerial bombing originating from the neighboring country. However, Petro has stated that he awaits the results of an investigation, emphasizing the need to avoid «going to war».
«A bomb dropped from an airplane has been discovered. We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances, very close to the border with Ecuador, confirming my suspicions. We need to investigate properly to ascertain whether we are being bombed from Ecuador and it’s not just armed groups,» the president expressed during a ministerial council meeting.
Petro’s accusations come amid heightened tariff and trade tensions between the two nations, which began earlier this year when Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa imposed a 30% «security fee» on Colombian imports, citing a perceived lack of actions from the Colombian government in combating drug trafficking along the border.
In response, the Colombian leader imposed tariffs on 73 products and halted electricity supplies to Ecuador, justifying the actions as a reciprocal measure against what he deemed unilateral actions by the Ecuadorian government.
Additionally, Petro’s administration lodged a complaint with the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) over Ecuador’s disregard for the agreements established in the Cartagena Agreement, signed on May 26, 1969.
The Colombian Ministry of Defense has highlighted that «the border area with Ecuador has been prioritized, enhancing public force capabilities to effectively combat the production, trafficking, and commercialization of cocaine».
Furthermore, Noboa increased the transport fee for Colombian crude oil through one of his pipelines, and as of March 1, he raised the tax on products from Colombia by 50%.
Petro to Release a Recording
During the cabinet meeting, Petro stated that «there have been several explosions» and indicated he would soon make public «a recording» received by his government from Ecuador regarding the situation.
«There is a recording that I believe should be made public. We did not make it, as it comes from Ecuador,» he asserted.
«We Do Not Want to Go to War»
The progressive leader noted that last week he requested U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call to «act and call the president of Ecuador because we do not want to go to war».
He expressed pride in having «rescued Colombia from the danger of missiles, which are falling all over the world now».
«We are in a time of deadly missiles threatening humanity, one after another. We managed to save Colombia, as they were falling from the neighboring country, but we should not be bombarded with lesser weapons, so to speak, from a missile standpoint,» he emphasized.
«National sovereignty must be respected… The bomb is active, so it is dangerous, and we must make the necessary decisions,» Petro added.
