Ecuador: National Police Find No Traces of Coca on Border

Text of report by Ecuadoran newspaper El Universo website on 29 December

Quito -Lino Proano, the spokesman for the Ecuadoran National Police, has affirmed that the information provided by the Colombian Police regarding the existence of presumed plantations of coca on Ecuadoran territory (the northern border) “is false.” The spokesman said that after learning about the Colombian report, which was issued on Sunday, the Special Mobile Narcotics Group (GEMA) carried out a land reconnaissance of the area, which was determined and identified as coordinates 0 degrees 10 minutes and 76 degrees and 10 minutes.

Those coordinates correspond to the sector of Cantagallo, where the Colombian Police said that between 10 and 15 hectares of coca plants could be found. However, in that sector -which is located between the Puecachi River (north) and the San Miguel River (south) – there is swampland that is difficult to get to. There is a wide variety of vegetation in the area, but no coca plants. After meeting with and interviewing the residents of the area, the Police concluded that they are devoted to growing coffee and corn and raising cattle, and noted: “They are not dangerous people.”

The Ecuadoran police operation was carried out on 26 December and the policemen visited Lago Agrio, Dureno, Parcayacu, Tarapoa, Aguas Negras, La Y de Cuyabeno, Sansahuari and Cantagallo. In this manner they confirmed the reconnaissance made by air by members of the Armed Forces, Proano said. He added that traces of coca plants were found in other border locations and were removed, but failed to provide any statistics regarding the number of hectares destroyed.

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