Ban Ki-moon hails regional group’s role in easing Colombia-Ecuador tensions

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the leadership displayed by the Organization of American States (OAS) in addressing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador that flared last weekend.

“The resolution adopted at the OAS yesterday provides [an] impartial mechanism to clarify events and offers both countries a path to resolve their differences peacefully and cooperatively,” he said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban pledged the UN’s full support to the OAS-led process.

Ecuadorian and Venezuelan troops amassed at their borders with Colombia following a weekend attack claiming the life of a senior leader of the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to press reports.

In an earlier statement, the Secretary-General voiced his concern over the “increased tensions and heightened rhetoric” following last weekend’s events, and urged all three nations to address their shared concerns “in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation that has traditionally characterized their relations.”