QUITO, Ecuador: A mounting diplomatic row between Ecuador and Colombia intensified on Thursday, with Bogota recalling its ambassador after Quito announced 100 per cent tariffs on imports from its South American neighbour.
The two countries have been engaged in a trade war for months, with Ecuador accusing Bogota of failing to combat drug trafficking and illegal mining along their shared border.
“Our ambassador to Ecuador must return immediately,” Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, said in an X post responding to Ecuador’s leader, Daniel Noboa, a staunch ally of United States President, Donald Trump.
“The next cabinet meeting will be held at a location on the border with Ecuador,” Petro added.
The diplomatic tit-for-tat escalated after Petro referred to a jailed former Ecuadoran vice-president as a “political prisoner” this week.
The left-wing Petro was referring to Jorge Glas, who was vice-president under firebrand former socialist leader, Rafael Correa, and Correa’s successor, Lenin Moreno.
Glas was sentenced to 13 years in prison last year for corruption, his fourth conviction since 2017.
That prompted right-wing Noboa to recall his envoy from Colombia for consultations on Wednesday and announce the tariffs starting in May.
Petro earlier called the threat of a 100 per cent tariff “a monstrosity” and threatened to withdraw Colombia from the Andean Community of Nations, a trade bloc which also includes Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
“It’s just simply a monstrosity, but this signifies the end” of the grouping, “in which we already no longer participate”, Petro earlier said on X.
Noboa responded that “it is not possible to reach agreements with someone who does not share the same commitment to fighting narco-terrorism”.
“In the future, it will be possible to talk with a government that is truly committed to combating crime and drug trafficking,” Noboa said.
The right-wing Ecuadorian leader kicked off a trade war with Colombia in January over the alleged lack of cooperation in combating drug trafficking.
From an initial 30 per cent, he later increased tariffs on Colombia to 50 per cent.
Colombia responded with 50-per cent tariffs and by halting electricity sales to Ecuador, which has suffered chronic energy shortages.
Talks between the two countries failed to produce a breakthrough. – AFP
