Ecuador Eyes U.S. Drug Surveillance Move

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian/Associated Press

Ecuador Eyes U.S. Drug Surveillance Move

Saturday August 11, 2007 11:01 PM


QUITO, Ecuador (AP) - President Rafael Correa said Saturday that the U.S. should move its anti-drug surveillance flights to Colombia after its lease runs out on an Ecuadorean air base in 2009.

Correa, who took office in January, has repeatedly said he will not extend the agreement letting the U.S. military use the Manta base for the air operations. In his weekly radio address he denied that the decision would result in increased drug trafficking.

``Put the base in Colombia,'' said Correa, a leftist and close ally of Venezuelan leader and Washington foe Hugo Chavez. ``Colombia produces drugs, Ecuador doesn't.''

Ecuador produces virtually no coca, the key ingredient in cocaine, but is often used as a transit country for drugs traveling from neighboring Colombia and Peru to the United States via the Pacific Ocean.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6843847,00.html

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Ecuador's President Rafael Correa