Weekly Report - 16 March 2004

Colombia has agreed to increase its military and police presence along the border with Ecuador, as the latter had been demanding, particularly since last year's flap about the alleged smuggling of Ecuadorean military-issue weapons to the Farc guerrillas and recent crossborder movements of Colombian fighters. The details of the agreement were thrashed out last week by both countries' military commanders; they will be announced publicly during a forthcoming visit to Colombia by Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutiérrez.